5 best first-round draft picks in Houston Texans’ history feat. Deshaun Watson

The Houston Texans have a comparatively short history of first-round selections in the NFL Draft as the NFL's newest team. As of this writing, the team has only participated in 23 draft events since it began operations in 2002.

Despite having a brief history, the Texans have already selected several outstanding players in the first round of the NFL Draft. In this article, we will take a look at the best players Houston has selected in the first round of the draft.

Ranking the Houston Texans’ best first-round picks in history

#5 - Deshaun Watson (quarterback) - No. 12 overall, 2017

Even though Deshaun Watson's stint with the Houston Texans was brief and ended badly, he was a true franchise quarterback during his stable spells.

Watson led the team to back-to-back division titles in 2018 and 2019 following an ACL injury that ended his rookie season. The three-time Pro Bowler, who excelled in Houston due to his dual-threat quarterbacking skills, led the league in passing yards in 2020 with 4,823 and finished second in the league with a 112.4 passer rating that season.

Disagreements with the Texans' executive management led Watson to request a trade and leave the organization after the 2020 season.

#4 - Duane Brown (offensive tackle) - No. 26 overall, 2008

Duane Brown started as the left tackle for the Houston Texans 133 times after being selected 26th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He was also selected to three Pro Bowls for the team in nine and a half seasons.

Brown also never gave up more than three sacks in a season as a starter at left tackle. Most of the credit for the team's offensive performance during Brown's tenure in Houston went to running back Arian Foster and pass catcher Andre Johnson. Still, the star offensive lineman, who served as the offensive line's anchor, also deserves a great deal of recognition.

#3 - DeAndre Hopkins (wide receiver) - No. 27 overall, 2013

DeAndre Hopkins made a name for himself as one of the NFL's top wide receivers during his seven seasons with the Houston Texans. He still sits at second place in Texans history in almost every receiving metric, only surpassed by Hall of Famer Andre Johnson.

Hopkins had 632 catches, 8,602 receiving yards, and 54 receiving touchdowns during his time with the Texans. In addition, he led the league in receiving touchdowns in 2017 and was chosen for three first-team All-Pro teams. He also played in four Pro Bowls with the Texans.

#2 - Andre Johnson (wide receiver) - No. 3 overall, 2003

Andre Johnson was a standout wide receiver for the Houston Texans, setting multiple team milestones and being the first player drafted by the organization to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Johnson proved his constant excellence during his 12 seasons with the Texans by being selected to the Pro Bowl seven times and to the All-Pro team four times. He also led the Texans to their first postseason appearance in 2011.

Johnson caught 1,062 passes for 14,185 yards and 70 touchdowns in 193 regular season games for the Texans.

#1 - J.J. Watt (defensive tackle) - No. 11 overall, 2011

Rated among the finest defensive linemen in history, J.J. Watt was a very productive and influential player with the Houston Texans. He set franchise records for forced fumbles and sacks and won three Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Watt, who finished second behind Aaron Rodgers in the voting for the MVP award in 2014, played for the Texans for 10 years. During that period, he assisted the team in winning six AFC South titles.

Watt also frequently produced excellent individual performances in the playoffs, even though the Texans never made it past the divisional round of the playoffs during his time there.