Ranking Texans biggest NFL draft gems of the last decade

6. Charles Omenihu

In the 2019 NFL Draft, the Texans spent a fifth-round pick on Texas defensive lineman Charles Omenihu. In his first two years in the league, Omenihu tallied seven sacks but Houston went on to trade him to the San Francisco 49ers in 2021. In 2022, he had 4.5 sacks, which was a career-high for him.

During the 2023 offseason, Omenihu signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and put together the best year of his career. The former Texas product totaled seven sacks (as many as he had for Houston in multiple seasons) and won a Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs.

While Omenihu wasn't a draft gem for what he did in Houston, he's proven to be a solid contributor in the NFL and therefore constitutes as a draft gem.

5. D.J. Reader

The Texans used a fifth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to nab D.J. Reader out of Clemson. He appeared in double-digit games during his four-year stint in Houston and had 6.5 sacks while also serving as a stout run stopper.

In 2020, Reader signed a four-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals and became their newest run-stopping machine. Reader did battle injuries in Cincinnati, missing the majority of the 2020 season and never appearing in every regular-season game in a single season. Reader tore his quad toward the end of the 2023 season and missed the final three games.

The Texans found a fantastic run defender on Day 3 of the draft who is still playing at a high level. This has to make D.J. Reader a draft gem even if he's no longer a member of the Houston Texans.