Ranking Texans biggest NFL draft gems of the last decade

The Houston Texans have swung and missed on plenty of draft picks over the last decade but they've also hit on some diamonds in the rough. While not all of the players on my draft gems list are late-round picks, they're considered draft gems because they've done more than expected for the Texans even early in their careers.

Let's look at the biggest draft gems for the Texans over the last decade.

7. Dameon Pierce

With a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Texans drafted Dameon Pierce out of Florida and the running back had an immediate impact for the offense as a rookie. During his rookie campaign, Pierce rushed for 939 yards and four touchdowns and was in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

While year two didn't go according to plan for Pierce (416 rushing yards and two touchdowns), he was splitting carries with Devin Singletary and that cut into his workload. It's likely that his production stays on the lower side in 2024 due to sharing the backfield with Joe Mixon but Pierce proved in year one that he can be a legitimate starting running back and that was a big get for the Texans in the fourth round.