Houston Texans: Ranking each of Bill O’Brien’s trades as general manager

4. 2020 3rd round pick to the Cleveland Browns for Duke Johnson

Shortly after incumbent Houston Texans starting running back Lamar Miller tore his ACL in the third week of the preseason, a major hole at running back appeared on the depth chart. The initial agreement made by Bill O’Brien involved a conditional fourth round pick depending on Johnson’s availability and performance, but his production led to it becoming a third rounder.

Many would say that a third round pick is worth more than a backup rusher, but Johnson proved his worth as a pass catcher and change of pace back throughout the year. Despite only starting two games, Johnson tallied 410 rushing yards and two scores while running for an average of 4.9 per carry. Johnson actually totaled the exact same amount of receiving yards, as well as three more scores through the air.

David Johnson is likely due to see the majority of carries this season due to the price that was paid to acquire him, but this was not a bad trade by any means. Duke Johnson is one of the best backups in the league, and remains a viable threat out of the backfield on any given play.