NFL Draft: Houston Texans best 15 picks of all-time

Nov 29, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) walks off the field after a game against the New Orleans Saints at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

1. J.J. Watt – Defensive End, Wisconsin; 2011 1st round 11th overall selection

After becoming the first player in NFL history to post two seasons with 20 or more quarterback sacks in one season, it would be hard to select anyone other than defensive end J.J. Watt as the best draft pick ever by the Houston Texans.

Watt has become the newest face of the franchise, and to illustrate how much respect there is for his immense talent, he received NFL MVP votes in 2014.

What makes that so impressive is that the MVP award almost always goes to the best quarterback, and very rarely does a team who missed the playoffs have someone generating buzz for the award.

After recording 20.5 sacks in 2012 and 20.5 again in 2014, Watt is on pace for another amazing season in 2015. After 11 weeks, the popular defensive end leads the NFL with 13.5, despite defenses doing all they can to avoid being on the same side of the field as him.

Popular not only for taking signal callers down, Watt has changed the way people prepare to face the Texans. The Patriots at one point had their defensive lineman practice while using racquetball rackets on their hands in an attempt to simulate Watt’s long reach and ability to swat the ball at the line of scrimmage.

What’s the best part of all of this for Texans fans? At just 26-years old, the list of achievements for J.J. Watt are only beginning.