With the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft just one day away, we are ticking down the hours until the Houston Texans are on the clock.
The Texans currently hold the 25th pick in the first round of this year’s draft.
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In their 23 years of existence, the Texans have compiled an extensive and diverse draft history. With picks ranging from the beginning, middle and end of the first round, the team has a very varied range of results.
I thought it would be fun to go back through the team’s draft history and analyze how their top picks faired in the NFL (in my opinion).
Without further ado, here’s my ranking of every Texans first round pick.
Team legends
J.J. Watt (2011), Andre Johnson (2003)
J.J. Watt and Andre Johnson need no introduction. When you think of the best players in the franchise’s history, they are likely the first two names that come to your head. They were dominant on the field and pillars of the Houston community off of it. If you could pick any pair of athletes to represent your franchise, these two would be near the top of any list.
Johnson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024, and Watt will undoubtedly wear a gold jacket of his own when he reaches the five-year retirement threshold to be eligible.
Fantastic picks
C.J. Stroud (2023), DeAndre Hopkins (2013), Derek Stingley Jr. (2022), Will Anderson Jr. (2023), Duane Brown (2008), Mario Williams (2006), Deshaun Watson (2017)
In the cases of C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson Jr., and Derek Stingley Jr., I think it is safe to say they are each on a Hall-of-Fame-worthy trajectory, but it is simply too early to tell for sure.
Duane Brown was the cornerstone of the Texans’ offensive line for a decade, providing blindside protection for multiple different quarterback eras of the team. Even if his tenure in Houston ended on a sour note, DeAndre Hopkins was one of the most dominant pass catchers of the 2010s decade, and most people would put him just below Johnson on the current list of all-time Texans receivers.
Mario Williams is possibly the toughest player to rank on this list. He spent just six seasons in Houston before signing a blockbuster contract with Buffalo. His resume is impressive enough to place him higher in this ranking (2x First-Team All-Pro, 2x Second-Team All-Pro, 4x Pro Bowler), but half of his accolades were achieved after he left the Texans.
Deshaun Watson’s Texans tenure ended in disgrace and infamy, but his time in Houston resulted in two playoff runs and one of the most productive eras in franchise history. Not only that, but the Texans were able to negotiate an unprecedented haul of draft picks in a trade that sent Watson to Cleveland. This move helped Houston accelerate its rebuild and is regarded as one of the best trades in NFL history (or worst, depending on who you ask).
Solid contributors
Jadeveon Clowney (2014), Kareem Jackson (2010), Brian Cushing (2009), Whitney Mercilus (2012), Tytus Howard (2019), Dunta Robinson (2004)
This tier includes Jadeveon Clowney, a player that made a large impact during his time in H-Town, even if he had some injury issues in the first part of his career and wasn’t a Texan for as long as we might have liked.
The next three players (Kareem Jackson, Brian Cushing, and Witney Mercilus) didn’t have quite as dominant of a peak as Clowney, but they were solid contributors who were important pieces to some stout defenses in the 2010s for the Texans.
Tytus Howard has moved all over the Texans’ line, and he was talented enough to earn a lucrative second contract, but issues with injuries have left some lingering questions with his game.
Dunta Robinson had a bit of a messy end to his time as a Texan, but he was an immediate starter who had some solid years in Houston. Despite only playing six seasons with the Texans, he ranks third all-time in franchise interceptions (behind only Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson).
Showed some flashes
Will Fuller (2015), Jason Babin (2004)
Will Fuller was a speedster and a constant homerun threat, but his career was stunted by injuries, and he retired shortly after leaving Houston. Jason Babin was actually a two-time Pro Bowler, but both of those selections came years after he had been traded by the Texans.
MORE DRAFT INFO: Former Texans standout tight end Owen Daniels to announce team’s Day 2 draft picks
Didn’t work out
Amobi Okoye (2007), David Carr (2002), Travis Johnson (2005), Kevin Johnson (2015), Kenyon Green (2022)
Don’t let the low-ranking fool you; there is plenty of talent in this group. There is a plethora of reasons that a draft pick might fail to meet expectations, and it happens every year.
Whether it be lingering injuries, poor coaching, or just a bad fit, sometimes a draft pick just needs a change of scenery.
