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NFL Draft: Every team’s biggest first round bust of last ten years

By George Stockburger

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 26: Robert Griffin III (R) from Baylor holds up a jersey as he stands on stage with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after Griffin was selected #2 overall by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 26, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 26: Robert Griffin III (R) from Baylor holds up a jersey as he stands on stage with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after Griffin was selected #2 overall by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 26, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 30: Kevin Johnson of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons holds up a jersey with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked #16 overall by the Houston Texans during the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University on April 30, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 30: Kevin Johnson of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons holds up a jersey with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked #16 overall by the Houston Texans during the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University on April 30, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Kevin Johnson. . team. 10. . 2015, 16th overall.

Duane Brown, Brian Cushing, Kareem Jackson, J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus, De’Andre Hopkins, Jadeveon Clowney. Those are the first round picks Houston made from 2008-2014, and there’s a Pro Bowler and/or starter with each of those picks.

If this exercise were to pick the worst first round picks in franchise history, we’d have David Carr, Travis Johnson, or Amobi Okoye on this list. But this is the last decade, so we’re pulling out one of the more recent picks on this list, Kevin Johnson.

Houston finished 9-7 in head coach Bill O’Brien’s first year, and owned the 16th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Their secondary wasn’t horrible with AJ Boye and Kareem Jackson, and they were third in the league with 20 interceptions. However, they did give up 28 passing touchdowns and 3,890 yards in the air, neither fantastic numbers compared to the rest of the league.

Unfortunately for Houston this was a bad year to draft a quarterback beyond Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, with the rest of the class including Garrett Grayson, Bryce Petty, and Sean Mannion.

Houston took Johnson two picks before Marcus Peters, now considered one of the best young corners in the league.

SEATTLE, WA – OCTOBER 29: Tight end Jimmy Graham #88 of the Seattle Seahawks can’t bring in an end zone pass against cornerback Kevin Johnson #30 of the Houston Texans during the third quarter of the game at CenturyLink Field on October 29, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – OCTOBER 29: Tight end Jimmy Graham #88 of the Seattle Seahawks can’t bring in an end zone pass against cornerback Kevin Johnson #30 of the Houston Texans during the third quarter of the game at CenturyLink Field on October 29, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

Johnson came in and started 10 games for Houston and played in all 16 as a rookie, making one interception, deflecting nine passes, and making 47 tackles. The following season he broke his foot and missed 10 games while starting half the games he appeared in. In 2017 he sprained his MCL in the middle of Houston’s injury-laden season, but played in 12 games for the Texans.

It certainly hasn’t been a horrible career for the young cornerback, who had his fifth-year option picked up by the Texans. If he stays healthy he can be a starting corner in the league with limited ball production, having just one interception in his career.

Hopefully a healthy 2018 comes his way and he can remove himself from the bust list.

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