Houston Texans: 5 worst NFL Draft picks of all-time

David Carr (2002: first round, first overall)

Sometimes a draft pick is so bad that it takes an organization years to recover. This was exactly the case when the Houston Texans selected David Carr first overall in 2002 with the first pick in franchise history.

Heading into their inaugural season, the Texans found themselves with a long list of needs, including the quarterback position. With the first overall pick in the draft, they decided to take a chance on a franchise quarterback rather than take a shot on an elite defender like Julius Peppers.

Drafting Carr first overall was not a reach by any means, though. He was coming off a senior season at Fresno State in which he won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award after leading the nation with 4,839 passing yards and 51 total touchdowns.

Regardless, the pick turned out to be a disaster for several reasons, some of which had nothing to do with Carr’s ability as a quarterback.

As a rookie in 2002, he set a single-season record after being sacked 76 times. Two years later he was sacked on 68 occasions, the third-most in NFL history. The effects of this beating had an apparent effect on Carr, who was never able to recover mentally.

What made Carr’s selection so bad for the Texans was how long they held on to hopes of him becoming their franchise quarterback. In five years in Houston, he posted a 22-53 record with 59 touchdowns and 65 interceptions.

The team finally moved on in 2007 by cutting ties with Carr and acquiring Matt Schaub from the Atlanta Falcons. The Texans would record their first .500 season in franchise history that year, and would finally reach the playoffs for the first time four years later.

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