The Dallas Cowboys have unveiled their 53-man roster for the 2025 season, though fans shouldn't get too comfortable as more shuffling will take place over the next few days. Some players who did not make the initial cut will likely end up on the roster in due time.
However, there is still plenty to react to, like undrafted rookie Zion Childress beating out Israel Mukuamu and Kemon Hall. While it is unclear if Childress will start in the nickel in Week 1, he is the top nickel cornerback on the roster not named DaRon Bland.
While Childress making the squad is an awesome story, the much bigger surprise is that James Houston made the cut. A lot of Cowboys fans thought Houston wouldn't make the team due to sheer numbers at defensive end, but Dallas right by the 26-year-old pass rusher.
To say that social media would have erupted if Houston didn't make the 53 would be an understatement.
Simply put, Houston was the Cowboys' best and most consistent player in the preseason and he was among the top performers on the defensive side of th eball in training camp while sharing the field with veterans like Osa Odighizuwa, Dante Fowler, Solomon Thomas and DaRon Bland, neither of whom played a down in preseason.
As things stand, it's anyone's guess if Micah Parsons will play in Week 1. With second-round rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku likely needing an acclimation period before he makes a consistent impact, Houston could be one of Dallas' top pass-rushers to open the season.
RELATED: Cowboys make their most heartbreaking cut yet that might secretly be a win
It helped that fellow defensive end Payton Turner was placed on injured reserve/designated to return with broken ribs. However, you couldn't find a Cowboys fan out there that thought Turner deserved to make the team over Houston. The former first-round pick of the Saints didn't pop at all this summer, while Houston has been unblockable from the moment he arrived in Dallas.
Only time will tell how the DE rotation shakes out once Parsons gets back on the field - and Turner returns from injury - but Houston deserves to be a major part of this defense regardless.
Many Cowboys fans feared Houston would lose out to Turner or potentially Tyrus Wheat, but you simply don't let that kind of pass-rushing ability out of the building. There was no shot the Cowboys were getting him back on the practice squad.
It's nice to see merit win the day in Houston's case, even if it didn't for players like Mazi Smith and Miles Sanders.