Houston Texans: Top 10 Draft Busts in Franchise History
By T.A. Mock
2. Sam Montgomery, EDGE, 2013 3rd round pick
JJ Watt had just had his breakout year. Mercilus had a pretty decent first year. However, even after all that the Texans need another pass rusher at outside linebacker. Thus, the Texans nabbed Montgomery in the third round of the 2013 draft.
What a steal they were getting! Montgomery had a monster 2012 for LSU and had received two All-SEC nods in 2011 and 2012. How does a guy like that slip to the third round?!
Well, Montgomery didn’t test as well at the combine as many thought he would. And, apparently, he had some character concerns, more on that later.
Montgomery ended up missing the 2013 season with an injury. After being placed on IR, Montgomery was permitted to travel with the team. That’s when the issues began. In October of that year, Montgomery and two other rookies were arrested for marijuana possession on a team road trip.
The Texans released all three players immediately. Montgomery was picked up by the Bengals after that. However, he didn’t play a single down for them, either, before being cut.
1. Travis Johnson, DT, 2005, 16th overall pick
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The Houston Texans drafted cornerback Dunta Robinson in the first round of the 2004 draft. However, the team still lack a disruptive force up front. Enter Travis Johnson out of Florida State.
Johnson was big, athletic, and disruptive in college. He looked the part to come in be the force up front the team needed. However, that dream was about as good as it good.
Johnson was a colossal bust both on and off the field. He often appeared malcontent off the field, getting in shouting matches and sitting on the bench. On the field, he appeared disinterested and lacked anything resembling effort.
All of this parlayed itself into his stats. He finished his four year Texans career with 80 total tackles and just two sacks.
Because of his draft slot and supreme lack of production, Johnson takes the crown as the biggest bust in Houston Texans history. Sure, he was a defensive tackle and, stat-wise, you shouldn’t expect a TON from him. However, the expectations were higher. His extreme disinterest and lack of production solidify him in this spot.