The Houston Texans had a total of 12 draft picks entering the 2014 NFL Draft and left with 10 players who many believed would align with the football philosophies of new head coach Bill O’Brien.
With four years passing and most four-year rookie contracts expiring, Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien’s first draft class hasn’t aged particularly well. There is obviously a lot of trial and error when a college head coach makes the transition to the big league, as there is a learning curve and a relationship that needs nurture between a head coach and the front office.
That seems to be the case for the Texans front office and O’Brien while looking back at the 2014 draft class of the Texans. One could reasonably expect for more players to still be on the roster after drafting double-digit players. The Texans had a balanced draft, selecting five players on both sides of the ball and those players included:
1st Round: Jadeveon Clowney (Outside Linebacker)
2nd Round: Xavier Su’a-Filo (Guard)
3rd Round: C.J. Fiedorowicz (Tight End)
3rd Round: Louis Nix (Nose Tackle)
4th Round: Tom Savage (Quarterback)
6th Round: Jeoffrey Pagan (Defensive End)
6th Round: Alfred Blue (Running back)
6th Round: Jay Prosch (Fullback)
7th Round: Andre Hal (Defensive Back)
7th Round: Lonnie Ballentine (Defensive Back)
Now with the 2018 regular season set to begin this Sunday, the Texans only have two players — Blue and Clowney — from the ’14 draft class remaining on the active roster. Hal was placed on the non-football illness list and is seeking medical treatment after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
In his first four seasons with the Texans, Blue has totaled 1,908 rushing yards with six rushing touchdowns. He’s also caught 49 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns in mostly a reserve role. Clowney has 158 total tackles in those same seasons, along with 20 sacks while also battling injuries along the way.
Fiedorowicz made the decision to retire from professional football after suffering multiple concussions throughout the previous season. Prosch was waived when the Texans were cutting down to the 53-man roster going to the regular season this month.
Meanwhile Su’a-filo, Nix, Savage, Pagan and Ballentine are all currently free agents entering the first week of the regular season. Time will tell just how successful this draft was in terms of Clowney’s potential, but overall there is a feeling this draft should have brought much more to the table than it did.