How should the Houston Texans feel about their 2017 NFL Draft class after three years? We take a deep dive into it.
The 2017 NFL Draft will go down as one of the franchise-altering drafts for the Houston Texans with several selections impacting the trajectory of the youngest franchise in the NFL. Not only did it turn out to be the last class selected by former Texans’ general manager Rick Smith, but he left the Texans with a parting gift with the franchise finally finding a quarterback that they were in search of since the Matt Schaub era came to a close.
The Texans had several needs in important positions in the roster outside of quarterback with an unsteady offensive line and a questionable secondary that had more questions than answers.
However, the quarterback position stood out from the rest after Smith dealt Brock Osweiler‘s contract in a salary dump to the Cleveland Browns along with a 2017 sixth-round selection, 2018 second-round pick in exchange for a 2017 fourth-round selection.
The Texans’ entered the draft with all their original selections except for an additional fourth-rounder they acquired from Cleveland in their effort to remove Osweiler from their books moving forward.
Original Grade
“Overall, Houston should be very satisfied with the seven players it drafted in 2017. Perhaps as many as five of these players could vie for serious playing time right away. Cunningham, Foreman and Watkins should have meaningful rotational roles as rookies.”
Draft Class
Round 1 (No. 12)
Deshaun Watson
QB, Tigers
CURRENT TEAM: Houston Texans
Houston moved up 13 spots to the 12th overall selection to select Deshaun Watson after three successful seasons at Clemson that resulted in two appearances in the BCS National Championship game against Alabama and one victory that asserted Watson’s dominance in college. Watson was arguably the most decorated quarterback entering the draft and was one of the signal-callers the Texans brought in for a visit throughout the draft process.
It became clear he was the target for a trade-up after Mitchell Trubisky went second overall with the Chicago Bears, and Patrick Mahomes II went tenth overall with the Kansas City Chiefs. The previous trade that netted the Browns a second-rounder for acquiring Osweiler allowed the Texans to fork over a future first to make the selection for Watson.
The Texans struck gold with this pick with Watson’s going 24-13 in his first three years in the league. Houston has gone on to the playoffs in two of the seasons, with the exception being his rookie season after Watson’s season ended prematurely due to an ACL injury.
Watson’s thrown for 9,716 yards a passer, rushed for 1,233 yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, and thrown 71 touchdowns to only 29 interceptions.
Round 2 (No. 57)
Zach Cunningham
LB, Commodores
CURRENT TEAM: Houston Texans
Zach Cunningham has quickly emerged one of the Houston Texans rising young stars after being selected late in the second round. Cunningham fits the modern NFL standards in terms of long, rangy linebackers that are capable of running sideline to sideline and be able to drop back in coverage.
Cunningham has racked up 334 tackles, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and one interception since entering the league as a starter for the majority of his rookie season. The emergence of Cunningham, along with Benardrick McKinney, allowed the Texans to move on from Brian Cushing in 2018 after he dealt with his fair share of injuries that led to his decline in play.
The former Vanderbilt Commodore earned Pro Bowl recognition from his peers after a brilliant 2019 season in which finished the year with 137 tackles.
Round 3 (No. 89)
D’Onta Freeman
RB, Longhorns
CURRENT TEAM: Houston Texans
The Houston Texans had very little success with their track record of third-round selections under Rick Smith, and running back D’Onta Foreman was no exception. Foreman showed glimpses of promise in his first year, but a serious Achilles injury put his career on ice for his second season in the league.
The Texans waived Foreman after a slow start in training camp in his third year, and he ultimately ended up with the Indianapolis Colts before he was waived with a bicep injury.
Round 4 (No. 130)
Julién Davenport
OT, Gators
CURRENT TEAM: Miami Dolphins
Davenport was seen as a developmental prospect from Bucknell that could sit behind Duane Brown and learn the intricacies of the position.
His development turned out to be stunted, with Brown traded to the Seattle Seahawks midseason. He played sparingly in his time in Houston with the Texans continuing to draft offensive linemen to challenge his spot on the roster. He was traded along with a combination of players and draft picks to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills.
Round 4 (No. 142)
Carlos Watkins
DT, Tigers
CURRENT TEAM: Houston Texans
Houston planned to get stronger in the trenches in the fourth round by selecting defensive tackle Carlos Watkins. The hope, with a fourth-round pick like this, was to get a contributor for line depth.
Watkins is now entering the fourth and final year of his rookie deal with the Texans, and his playing time continues to be limited since his rookie season in the NFL.
Round 5 (No. 169)
Treston Decoud
CB, Beavers
CURRENT TEAM: Dallas Renegades (XFL)
Texans drafted Treston Decoud mainly due to his versatility he could bring to the secondary with his imposing size at 6’3. Decoud was stuck at the bottom of the cornerback depth chart in his rookie season before making the switch to safety in his second season.
Decoud’s experiment as a safety was short-lived with the Texans waiving him in his second year after an underwhelming preseason. He spent a short stint with the Dallas Cowboys active roster and practice squad before being waived.
Round 7 (No. 203)
Kyle Fuller
C, Bears
CURRENT TEAM: Seattle Seahawks
With their final pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Texans selected Kyle Fuller from Baylor University to bolster the offensive line. Fuller had the versatility to play all three interior positions across the offensive line and earned a spot on the active roster in his rookie season.
Texans waived Fuller in his second season and signed him to the practice squad before the Washington Redskins signed him to their active roster. Fuller spent the 2018 season in Washington before signing with the Miami Dolphins for the following offseason.
The Dolphins waived before the start of the regular season, and he ended on the Seattle Seahawks practice squad before being promoted to the active roster towards the end of the 2019 season.
Retrospective Grade
Bottom Line: Twenty years from now, the Texans’ 2017 draft who will be remembered at a league-wide level for the selection of Watson. From what many of us have watched for the past three seasons, there is much greatness ahead for Watson, which means success should be ahead for the Texans, too.
When the Texans selected Watson, they had to know their franchise was going to change but did they know they were getting a player who not only made the team better on the field but off the field as well? The Texans are better for having the ’17 draft bring Watson to their roster, and once they can get over the hump in the playoffs, fans of the Texans — once all is said and done — should have much success to celebrate due to Watson and this draft.