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Historically, third round picks in the NFL Draft don’t always turn out to be the greatest players of all time. However, guys like Travis Kelce, Russell Wilson, Hines Ward, Steve Smith Sr., Dan Fouts and Joe Montana were all third rounders. Can Nick Caserio strike that sort of gold in next week’s NFL Draft? Maybe..
Your Houston Texans have yet to land a Hall of Famer in the third round, but that certainly doesn’t mean it can’t (or won’t) happen.
List of Houston Texans Third-Round Draft Picks
2002 (expansion draft): Aaron Glenn
2002: Fred Weary, Charles Hill
2003: Antwan Peek, Seth Wand, Dave Ragone
2005: Vernand Morency
2006: Charles Spencer, Eric Winston
2007: Jacoby Jones
2008: Steve Slaton
2009: Antoine Caldwell
2010: Earl Mitchell
2012 DeVier Posey, Brandon Brooks
2013: Brennan Williams, Sam Montgomery
2014: C. J. Fiedorowicz. Louis Nix III
2015: Jaelen Strong
2016: Braxton Miller
2017: D’Onta Foreman
2018: Justin Reid, Martinas Rankin, Jordan Akins
2019: Kahale Warring
2020: Jonathan Greenard
From that list, several names jump out as solid additions to the Texans’ roster. Guys like Charles Spencer, Eric Winston, Steve Slaton, Brandin Brooks, C.J. Fiedorowicz, Justin Reid, and Jordan Akins have all done a lot to help the team’s fortunes.
If his position group wasn’t so crowded with great players, Slaton would have made the Top Five Running Backs in Houston Texans history list. Eric Winston did make the Top Five Offensive Linemen list; Brandon Brooks barely missed it.
Two of Houston’s Top Five Tight Ends were taken in the third round: Fiedorowicz (CJF-350!) and Jordan Akins. While Fiedorowicz’s career ran short due to injury, Akins is still going strong.
However, only one player hit the #1 spot on the charts.
Not unlike the 2021 draft, in 2018 the Texans didn’t have a pick in the first or second round (apparently Bill O’Brien never thought those two picks were valuable). When the time to grab a player rolled around in the third, former Texans general manager Brian Gaine nabbed Justin Reid—a player many believed was the biggest steal of the entire draft. With Reid firmly entrenched in the pole position of the Top 5 Safeties in Houston Texans history, it’s safe to say we agree.
The range of mock draft predictions for the Texans this year is all over the map. From Houston calling the name of wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to cornerback Benjamin St-Juste, no one seems to have a consensus on just what name Nick Caserio will turn in when Houston’s pick comes due. Maybe the Texans get another Morency or maybe they get a Montana. Either way, barring a crazy trade, we’ll all have to wait until the 2021 NFL Draft hits the third round next Friday to know for sure.
Who was your favorite Houston Texans third-round pick? Have a player you really want the Texans to take next week?