Houston Texans: Top Draft Picks in Franchise History
By T.A. Mock
4. Owen Daniels, TE, 2006 4th round pick
The Daniels was the best complementary weapon the Houston Texans ever had to Andre Johnson. Daniels is exactly what you want from a fourth-round pick. He became an eight-year starter for the Texans.
Daniels was never a flashy tight end but, he did everything you need from a tight end. He was an above average blocker and very solid receiver. He amassed 385 catches for 4,617 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Daniels never broke the 1,000-yard mark as a receiver, but his blocking ability more than made up for it. Daniels was invaluable to the franchise. He is a player that the Texans have yet to replace the production for since he was cut. That is four years without much production from the tight end position. Pretty great for a fourth-round pick.
3. DeMeco Ryans, MLB, 2006 2nd round pick
If you haven’t caught on yet, the 2006 draft might be the best one in team history thus far. Especially consider four players from that draft are on this list. That’s a pretty stellar draft class in and of itself.
DeMeco Ryans, however, was the guy the Houston Texans got the most bang for their buck for. Especially in the 2006 season. Ryans was the first Texan to win an individual award. He walked away with defensive rookie of the year hardware. He had 155 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble, and three and a half sacks.
For his Texans career, he totaled 636 tackles, two interceptions, eight fumble recoveries, eight and a half sacks and a touchdown. He only missed ten games during his career as a Texan.
You could make a convincing argument for Ryans as the best linebacker in team history. Or, you could make an argument for Cushing. I’d be happy either way. However, Ryans gets the nods as a better draft pick here.