The Houston Texans have the 26th pick in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft. While that is the lowest they have ever picked in the draft, with the exception for 2008 when they traded down to the exact same spot, it is proof that they have been working on building their team into a legitimate playoff contender.
Here is a look at the Houston Texans No. 1 NFL Draft picks since coming into the NFL as an expansion franchise in 2002.
2011: J.J. Watt, DE - The Texans were looking at shoring up an already impressive defensive line when they brought in Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt in the 2011 NFL Draft. Watt started all 16 games for Houston as well as their playoff matchups. He finished his rookie season with 56 tackles and 5.5 sacks while adding 14 more tackles and 3.5 sacks in the NFL playoffs.
2010: Kareem Jackson, CB - Former Alabama cornerback Kareem Jackson was the 2010 first round pick. He started all 16 games in his rookie year but only started 13 in his second season. Part of his problem is that he is continuously burned but Wade Phillips named him a starter for 2012 anyway. He needs to turn things around if he wants to remain in that position.
2009: Brian Cushing, LB - It didn't take Brian Cushing long to make an impact. In his rookie season, he won the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award and then made the Pro Bowl in 2010. After Wade Phillips showed up in 2011, Cushing finished with 114 total tackles, four sacks and two interceptions.
2008: Duane Brown, OT (#26), Stave Slatan (#89) and Dominique Barber (#173) - Houston traded their first round pick in 2008 for three picks in the draft. Duane Brown was their biggest draft pick of the three, starting all 16 games in three of his four seasons on the offensive line. Slatan had one good season and is no longer with the team while Barber has played minimal thanks to injuries.
2007 - Amobi Okoye, DT (and Matt Schaub) - The big name in the 2007 NFL Draft was not a draft pick but a player Houston obtained by trading away their first round pick. The Texans traded their first and second round picks and their second round pick in 2008 for Matt Schaub and the pick used to pick Okoye, who is no longer with the team. It was well worth the trade.
2006 - Mario Williams, DE - Houston took Mario Williams in 2006. He finished his Houston career with 241 tackles and 53 sacks before leaving this offseason.
2005 - Travis Johnson, DT - 2005 NFL Draft pick Travis Johnson played little for Houston due to injuries and is currently without a team.
2004 - Dunta Robinson, CB and Jason Babin - Dunta Robinson was a great cornerback for the Texans while he played there although he left on bad terms. He was the first player Houston used the franchise tag on and left the next season for Atlanta. Babin played for Houston for three season before they traded him to the Seattle Seahawks.
2003 - Andre Johnson, WR - Easily the best draft pick in Houston Texans' history, Andre Johnson is one of the elite wide receivers in the NFL. Still with the team, he has 706 receptions for 9.656 yards and 52 touchdowns.
2002 - David Carr, QB - In the Houston Texans' first NFL Draft, they tried to establish themselves with a franchise quarterback. The man they chose was David Carr and that didn't work out very well. He was Eli Manning's backup in 2011 with the New York Giants, where he won a Super Bowl ring.
Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a fan of Houston football since Earl Campbell, Kenny "The Snake" Stabler and Billy "White Shoes" Johnson played for the Houston Oilers. When the Oilers left for Tennessee, Shawn lost interest but quickly became a Houston Texans fan when the NFL brought football back to South Texas.
Source: houstontexans.com
Other articles by Shawn S. Lealos:
No comments:
Post a Comment