Dallas Cowboys · EDGE RoomEDGE
#53 James Houston
Status Questionable — BackExp 4 yrs NFLAge 28Ht / Wt 6'1" · 241 lbCollege Jackson State University
Depth-chart placement
Current role
ROLB2Placement
BackupRoom
EDGEExperience
YR 5Last change
Updated 2026-07-29EDGE room context
View full depth chart →James Houston holds the ROLB · Backup spot in Dallas Cowboys’s edge room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:
James Houston played 17 games in 2025 with a 28% snap share.
Production
2025 seasonLatest season · 2025
5.5
Sacks
Background & career
James Houston is a 6'1", 241-pound right outside linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native attended Jackson State University before being selected in the sixth round (217th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft by Detroit. Houston enters his fifth season in the league and recorded 5.5 sacks during the 2025 campaign.
Jackson Statethrough 2021
Lions2022 – 2023
Browns2024Cowboys2025 — present
CollegeJackson State UniversityDraftRound 6 · No. 217 overall · 2022 · DETAcquiredAcquired from Detroit Lions · drafted thereHometownFort Lauderdale, FL
Jackson State UniversityDraftRound 6 · No. 217 overall · 2022 · DETAcquiredAcquired from Detroit Lions · drafted thereHometownFort Lauderdale, FL