By admin 
Drafting is an inexact science. Even the best of the best miss for any number of reasons-injuries, poor scheme fit, off-the-field issues, lack of development, and so on. With the 2026 NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, things should be quiet on the personnel side until training camps open in July.
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With that in mind, it seems like the perfect time to go back over the last 10 drafts to identify picks which didn’t pan out for each of the 32 clubs. Before we begin, let’s set the ground rules: We’re starting with the 2016 draft, so no players from the 2026 draft are eligible.
Now that we’ve established the parameters, here are the Houston Texans’ five worst draft picks of the past decade:
Dishonorable Mentions
- RB D’Onta Foreman (89th Overall, 2017)
- OL Martinas Rankin (80th Overall, 2018)
- CB Lonnie Johnson Jr. (54th Overall, 2019)
- OL Juice Scruggs (62nd Overall, 2023)
5) TE Kahale Warring, 86th Overall (2019)
Fun fact: his full name is Kahale Kuio Kalani Michael Wodehouse Warring. Not-so-fun fact: if you add three to the number of words in his name, you get how many games Warring played in the NFL. Nine games. Zero impact.
4) DL Ross Blacklock, 40th Overall (2020)
Houston’s first pick in the 2020 draft, Blacklock was drafted to replace D.J. Reader. It was an immediate failure. His pass-rushing tools were inadequate at the NFL level, and the Texans shipped him off to Minnesota for a seventh-round pick after two years. Meanwhile, the player chosen with the next pick continues to torment Houston to this day-Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor.
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3) WR Braxton Miller, 85th Overall (2016)
A standout quarterback at Ohio State, Miller converted to H-back after suffering a torn labrum and then entered the NFL Draft as a receiver. The Texans took the plunge in Round 3. While Miller won a starting role as a rookie, it didn’t translate into production, and he soon tumbled down the depth chart. Houston cut him after just two seasons.
2) WR John Metchie III, 44th Overall (2022)
Metchie’s draft stock took a hit when he tore his ACL in the 2021 SEC Championship Game. While recovering, he was diagnosed with leukemia and missed his rookie year. He returned to the field in 2023 but played sparingly over the next two seasons in Houston, posting a 40-412-1 line with the club before being traded to the Jets.
1) OL Kenyon Green, 15th Overall (2022)
Already considered a reach when Houston took him in the middle of Round 1, Green made 14 starts as a rookie and earned the distinction of finishing 77th out of 77 graded guards by Pro Football Focus. He missed the 2023 season with a shoulder injury and was jettisoned in March 2025 in a deal with Philadelphia involving Day 3 picks and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Green never suited up for the Eagles.
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Related: The Green Bay Packers’ 5 Worst Draft Picks in the Last 10 Years
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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 6:00 AM.