The best draft picks in Houston Texans history

Houston has the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and has an important decision ahead of them. They’ve gone through some moribund years recently, and are looking to get back to their winning ways. We take a look back at some of the best players the franchise has ever drafted. Statistics are sourced from Football Reference.

It’s hard to believe that a franchise that’s only two decades old had one of the most dominant defensive players of all-time in their building for a decade. Simply put, J.J. Watt was a disrupter, who found ways to wreck the game for the opposition. Even if he couldn’t get to the quarterback, he would knock passed down at the line of scrimmage.

The Texans were not exactly a formidable team when they entered the league in 2002. However, the player that helped slowly bring them to relevancy was wide receiver Andre Johnson, who they drafted in 2003. He didn’t always play with the most accomplished quarterbacks, but Johnson was as reliable as it got for over a decade.

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Houston is hoping that their next franchise quarterback can come close to what Deshaun Watson brought to the field. He seemed to have a sixth sense for when to hang in the pocket a second longer to deliver a throw, versus scampering away with his legs for a first down. It seemed like he could move the chains whenever he wanted.

It’s a bit of a cliché in NFL circles, but DeAndre Hopkins really was a player you could throw the ball up to with absolute confidence. He had one of the strongest pair of hands in the NFL, and would seem to time his jump perfectly to elevate over defensive backs trying to play the ball. Because of this immense talent, his route tree was unlimited.

He may get somewhat overlooked in the conversation involving best cornerbacks of his era, but Kareem Jackson had been in the upper tier of defensive backs for a long time. He spent nine very productive seasons with the Texans, jumping right in as a starter from Day 1 after he was drafted in 2010. He finished his stint in Houston with 16 career interceptions and six forced fumbles.

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Getting around former Texans offensive tackle Duane Brown was a futile effort for most, and his teammates reaped the rewards. Brown made it to the Pro Bowl four times when he was with Houston, and was also named to the All-Pro team once. He was a steal towards the end of the first round in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Houston tried to frighten the league in the mid 2010’s by pairing J.J. Watt with the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. The tandem never truly got going due to untimely injuries, but Jadeveon Clowney did have several productive seasons in Houston. He recorded a career high 9.5 sacks for the team in 2017.

Middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans won Defensive Rookie Of The Year in 2006, and served as a leader of the Texans defense for six years. He is now back with the franchise as its head coach, and is hoping that the franchise can bring in a new influx of talent that he can mold into a winner.

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Coming out of college, the 6’6” 300 pound Mario Williams was pegged as one of the most imposing athletes the league would feature in a long time. While he didn’t spend a great deal of time with the Texans, Williams was still very productive in Houston. He would total 53 sacks in six campaigns with the team.

The Texans were the only team linebacker Brian Cushing played for in his career, as the two sides remained loyal to one another during some difficult seasons. Cushing was limited due to injury in what was supposed to be his prime, but he bounced back nicely in 2014 and 2015. Like Ryans, Cushing is also a Defensive Rookie Of The Year winner.

He may not have come into the league with some of the hype of the other pass rushers on this list, but Whitney Mercilus carved out a solid career for himself in Houston. For 10 seasons, he mercilessly played a variety of roles for the team, serving as a pass rusher and a run-stuffing defender.

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It’s often said that a quarterback’s best friend is a decent running game, but perhaps the next best thing is a big-bodied, athletic tight end. Owen Daniels fit the bill in that regard, playing on Texans teams that would routinely qualify for the postseason. He wasn’t the flashiest player, but he was certainly relied upon to keep the sticks moving by finding holes in the defense.

Even though he had some respectable seasons as a wide receiver, Jacoby Jones will forever be known as a dynamic punt and kick returner. He would routinely give the Texans an edge when it came to starting field position, and brought some kicks back to the house as well.

Although he had some trouble staying on the field, Will Fuller was a player that defenses needed to account for at all times. Defenses couldn’t relax with him on the field for an instant, as he was a threat to run past the secondary if the safety wasn’t committed to giving help over the top. His presence was a huge boon for the Texans offense.

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The Houston Texans have received exceedingly positive returns on their two top-five picks from the 2023 NFL Draft. Both C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson had great rookie campaigns, and appear to be strong building blocks for the franchise moving forward.