7 Best Houston Texans of All Time, Ranked

Founded in 2002, the Houston Texans took some time to build momentum, posting losing seasons in the franchise’s first five years. 

If legal online football betting had been around from 2002 to 2006, the Texans would’ve been an easy target to go against when betting on NFL spreads. 

Today, wagering on the Texans is available at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

Below, I’ll look at the top seven Texans of all time.

7 Best Houston Texans of All Time, Ranked

Who Are the Greatest Texans Ever?

1. J.J. Watt

Drafted No. 11 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, Watt is the best player in Texans history. He was a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, winning all three from 2012 to 2015, was the Walter Payton Man of the Year, was a five-time first-team All-Pro, a two-time second-team All-Pro, went to five Pro Bowls, won the Bert Bell Award, and led the league in sacks twice. 

From 2012 to 2015, Watt had 17.5 sacks or more in three seasons. In the season where he didn’t, he still posted a respectable 10.5. 

After that, Watt was plagued by injuries, playing just eight games in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, though, he rebounded with 16 sacks. 

He finished his time with the Texans, posting 101 sacks in 128 games. 

He’s in the Texans Ring of Honor. 

2. Andre Johnson

A two-time first-team All-Pro, a two-time second-team All-Pro, and a seven-time Pro Bowler, Johnson also led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards twice. 

He was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft out of Miami and is the only Texans receiver with more than 8,602 receiving yards. He finished with 13,597. He also holds Texans records in targets (1,640), receptions (1,012), and touchdowns (64). 

Johnson was one of the most imposing wide receivers the game has seen, posting five seasons with 100+ receptions and seven with 1,000-plus receiving yards. 

3. DeAndre Hopkins

Next up behind Johnson is the player who’s second to all of Johnson’s stats. 

Hopkins and Johnson played with each other briefly, but after Johnson departed, Hopkins took over as the next Texans No. 1 receiver. 

He finished his time with the Texans with 1,048 targets, 632 receptions, 8,602 receiving yards, and 54 touchdowns. 

During his time with the Texans, he was a three-time first-team All-Pro, a four-time Pro Bowler, led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2017, and received a second-team All-Pro nod. 

4. Deshaun Watson

Before Watson was drafted in 2017 out of Clemson, the Texans had Matt Schaub as the franchise’s best quarterback. Watson elevated the position, throwing for 4,165 yards or more in two of his four seasons with the team. As a rookie, he played in just seven games (started six) and had 19 passing touchdowns. 

He played for the Texans for four years and was a Pro Bowler for three. He led the Texans to two playoff appearances, both ending in losses in the wild-card and divisional rounds. 

In 54 games, Watson threw for 14,539 yards and 104 touchdowns, both second in Texans history behind Schaub’s 23,221 passing yards and 124 touchdowns. 

5. Arian Foster

Foster, an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2009, played in 76 games for the Texans. He played briefly in 2009 but exploded onto the scene in 2010, rushing for 1,616 yards and 16 touchdowns on 327 carries. Foster was also an excellent pass-catching running back. In that same 2010 season, he caught 66 passes for 604 yards and two scores. 

He was a first-team All-Pro, a second-team All-Pro, and a four-time Pro Bowler. He led the league in rushing touchdowns twice and in rushing yards once. 

Foster finished his Texans career with 1,454 carries, 6,472 yards, and 54 touchdowns. These are all Texans’ records. He also finished with 345 targets (sixth), 249 receptions (fifth), 2,268 receiving yards (seventh), and 14 receiving touchdowns (eighth). 

6. DeMeco Ryans

Ryans was a second-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft and won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He finished with 126 solo tackles, 156 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, an interception, and one forced fumble. Those 126 solo tackles led the NFL. 

The first six years of his career were with the Texans, where he amassed six forced fumbles, 8.5 sacks, 636 combined tackles, and 479 solo tackles. His 479 solo tackles are a franchise record. 

He was a first-team All-Pro and a two-time Pro Bowler.

7. Duane Brown

Brown played for the Texans from 2008 to 2017, anchoring the offensive line. 

He was a first-team All-Pro in 2012 and a second-team All-Pro in 2011 and went to three Pro Bowls.