On Tuesday night, Jadeveon Clowney was named to the 2017 Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. Four players were announced as alternates - Whitney Mercilus, Duane Brown, DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Miller. As I was looking at the four names, three of them in particular, I realized that those three were first-round draft picks for the Texans. That got me thinking again to the draft history of the first rounders for the Texans.
Since 2008, with the selection of Duane Brown, through the 2014 draft when Clowney was drafted first overall, all but one Texan has been named to the Pro Bowl as a player or an alternate. Furthermore, each and every Texans first-round selection during that time frame is still on the team.
How rare is that? No team in the league has as many former first-round Pro Bowlers over that span that are still with their original team. In fact, in the AFC South, there are only two first rounders that made the Pro Bowl still with their respective teams - Andrew Luck, Indianapolis and Taylor Lewan, Tennessee. For context, the Titans, Colts and Jaguars made 19 first-round selections from 2008-2014.
The only team with more first rounders as Pro Bowlers/alternates in the same time frame is the Minnesota Vikings. Rick Spielman and staff hit three years in a row with two picks in the first round that all became Pro Bowlers - Matt Kalil and Harrison Smith in 2012, Xavier Rhodes and Cordarrelle Patterson in 2013 and Anthony Barr and Teddy Bridgewater in 2014. However, the Vikings had only one first rounder from 2008 through 2011.
Dallas has strung together a strong run as well... as much as it pains me to say. The Cowboys didn't have a selection in 2009 but had five in that 2008-2014 time frame. Only four remain with the team, but three of them make up 60 percent of the offensive line that has dominated at times this year - Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin.
Yet, no team has hit year in and year out like the Texans in the first round of the draft consistently over the past eight seasons.
The Houston Texans roster in photos.
DL Mario Addison, #56 (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
QB, Kyle Allen, #3
RB, Darius Anderson, #30
DB, Grayland Arnold, #35
TE, Antony Auclair, #83
DL, Ross Blacklock, #90
DL, Thomas Booker, #96
OL, Justin Britt, #68
DB, Terrence Brooks, #8
TE, Pharaoh Brown, #85
RB, Rex Burkhead, #28
WR, Jalen Camp, #17
OL, A.J. Cann, #60
LB, Blake Cashman, #53
DL, Maliek Collins, #97
WR, Nico Collins, #12
WR, Chris Conley, #18
WR, Brandin Cooks, #13
WR, Davion Davis, #14
LB, Tae Davis, #19
OL, Austin Deculus, #76
WR, Phillip Dorsett, #4
QB, Jeff Driskel, #6
DL, Michael Dwumfour, #98
WR, Drew Estrada, #81
K, Ka'imi Fairbairn, #7
DB, Jacobi Francis, #38
RB, Royce Freeman, #26
OL, Carson Green, #62
DL, Jonathan Greenard, #52
WR, DaeSean Hamilton, #5
OL, Kenyon Green, #59
DL, Rasheem Green (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
LB, Kamu Grugier-Hill, #51
LB, Christian Harris, #48
DL, Demone Harris, #94
WR, Damon Hazelton, #86
OL, Charlie Heck, #67
LB, Neville Hewitt, #43
QB, Kevin Hogan, #16 (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
OL, Tytus Howard, #71
DL, Jerry Hughes, #55 (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
FB, Andy Janovich, #41
An image from the Aug. 21, 2021 Houston Texans preseason game 2 against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The Texans won 20-14.
WR, Johnny Johnson III, #89
P, Cameron Johnston, #11
TE, Brevin Jordan, #9
DB, Desmond King II, #25
LB, Christian Kirksey, #58
DL, Roy Lopez, #91
RB, Marlon Mack, #2
DB, Tristin McCollum, #39
OL, Justin McCray, #64
WR, John Metchie III, #88
QB, Davis Mills, #10
WR, Chris Moore, #15
DB, Jimmy Moreland, #22
OL, Jimmy Morrissey, #79
DB, Eric Murray, #23
DB, Steven Nelson (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
DB, Steven Nelson, #21
DL, Adedayo Odeleye, #75
OL, Cedric Ogbuehi, #77
RB, Dare Ogunbowale, #33
DL, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, #45
DB, Jonathan Owens, #36
RB, Dameon Pierce, #31
LB, Kevin Pierre-Louis, #57
DB, Jalen Pitre, #42
FB, Paul Quessenberry, #45
OL, Scott Quessenberry, #54
TE, Teagan Quitoriano, #84
LB, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, #34 (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
DL, Derek Rivers, #95
OL, Max Scharping, #74
DB, Kendall Sheffield (AP Photo/Kevin Sabitus)
DB, Tremon Smith, #24
OL, Jordan Steckler, #70
DB, M.J. Stewart, #29
DB, Derek Stingley Jr., #24
DB, Tavierre Thomas, #37
OL, Laremy Tunsil, #78
LB, Garret Wallow, #32
WR, Connor Wedington (AP)
LS, Jon Weeks #46
DB, Isaac Yiadom, #20
