Houston Texans: Top Draft Picks in Franchise History
By T.A. Mock
10. Brandon Brooks, G, 2012 3rd round pick; Ben Jones, C, 2012 4th round pick
I had to combine these two into one slot. The impact they had after the 2012 draft was tremendous. They both weren’t full-time starters during their four-year tenure. However, they both helped solidify an offensive line that needed it, badly.
Brooks was a slight project coming out of Miami of Ohio. He was a behemoth that needed some technique refinement. After a year out of the starting lineup, he stepped in and instantly upgraded the unit.
Jones, on the other hand, stepped into the starting lineup immediately. He contributed during his rookie season. However, he stepped out and became a clutch swing guy his second year. After that, he was a mainstay on the offensive line.
The helped establish the Texans offensive unit during their tenure here. Unfortunately, the Texans did not deem either fit to be resigned at the prices they garnered. If they had, we might have seen them higher on this list.
9. Mario Williams, EDGE, 2006 1st overall pick
Houston almost rioted after the Texans drafted Super Mario over Vince Young and Reggie Bush. But, hindsight is 20/20. Williams turned out to be a stud.
His first year left a lot to be desired. However, he kicked it up a notch in his sophomore season. The rest is history.
After the 2011 season, the Texans opted to not resign Williams. Believing he was going to get paid too much and that his production would slip. He was also coming off an injury-shortened season.
While they may have been slightly wrong about his production, the Texans were working on shifting to a 3-4 defense. Which, did not fit his skill set.
However, all of this does not detract from his impact on the Houston Texans organization. Super Mario worked out splendidly as a 1st overall pick. The reason he isn’t higher is that he was a first overall pick. Williams proved his worth and value and that’s why he cracked this top ten.