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

Dec 21, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Jared Crick (93) during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

14. Jared Crick – Defensive End, Nebraska; 2012 4th round 126th overall selection

Again we have a player selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, which proved to be a great offseason for the Houston Texans. After snagging their current starting center, Ben Jones, with the 99th selection, the team took Nebraska defensive lineman Jared Crick 27 picks later.

The 6’4″, 285 pound Crick only played five games his senior year, which surely hurt his draft stock. He showed flashes of his talent during his previous two seasons as he recorded more than 70 tackles in each season and also had 9.5 in both his sophomore and junior campaign.

After arriving in Houston, the 3-4 defensive end proved to be a valuable rotation player during his first two seasons when he recorded 22 tackles his rookie year and 20 the next.

In 2014, Crick became a full-time starter and totaled 56 tackles and 3.5 sacks on the season. After 11 games in 2015, he has been credited with 35 tackles and two sacks.

His efforts often go unnoticed due to the attention paid to his fellow starting defensive end J.J. Watt, but Crick has proven to be an incredibly valuable member of this three-man defensive line. He also proved that he, like Jones, was a steal in the fourth round.

Next: A starter for years on the offensive line