This week, College Football 24/7 takes a division-by-division look at the best and worst all-time NFL draft picks for every team, concluding today with the AFC South and NFC South teams.
For this exercise, where a player was selected in the draft and the sum of their NFL accomplishments (or, lack thereof) were taken into account.
Houston Texans
Best pick:J.J. Watt (2011 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 11 overall)
The lowdown: Watt has executed more than a career's worth of damage in just five NFL seasons. He's a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and has twice led the league in sacks. He has two 20-plus sack seasons, and he's the only player in league history to do so (sacks didn't become an official statistic, however, until 1982). Watt and Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White are the only players with at least 17 sacks in three different seasons.
Worst pick:Tony Hollings (2003 NFL Supplemental Draft, Round 2)
The lowdown: The Texans forfeited a second-round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft in order to get Hollings. Burning such a high selection on Hollings was a curious decision at best. Hollings was a defensive back in his first two seasons in college at Georgia Tech, and then moved to running back but played in just four games before a suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament and torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. Due to academic issues, Hollings entered the 2003 supplemental draft. In three seasons with the Texans' Hollings started only one game, gained 149 yards and did not score a touchdown.
Indianapolis Colts
Best pick: Peyton Manning (1998 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 1 overall)
The lowdown:Presented with the difficult choice between Manning and Ryan Leaf, the Colts made a decision that would alter the fortunes of the franchise. The Colts have had just three losing seasons since draft day 1998. Manning rewrote the NFL record book and delivered the first Super Bowl championship for the IndianapolisColts.
Worst pick:Jeff George (1990 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 1 overall)
The lowdown:The Colts traded six-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Chris Hinton, receiver Andre Rison, a 1991 first-round pick and 1990 fifth-rounder to the Atlanta Falcons in order to secure the top draft pick in 1990. George lasted just four seasons in Indy, compiling a dismal 14-35 record as a starter and then was traded to the Falcons following the 1993 season.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Best pick:Fred Taylor (1998 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 8 overall)
The lowdown: Taylor played 11 seasons in Jacksonville, compiled seven 1,000-yard rushing seasons and finished as the franchise's all-time leader in rushing yardage with 11,271. Taylor was a part of four Jaguars teams that reached the playoffs, including the franchise's final playoff appearance in 2007.
Worst pick:Justin Blackmon (2012 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 5 overall)
The lowdown: The Jaguars have a horrific track record of drafting wide receivers in the first round. Jacksonville took R. Jay Soward in 2000, Reggie Williams in 2004, Matt Jones in 2005 and then Blackmon in 2012. Every one of those players could be considered the Jaguars' "worst ever" draft selection, but we're going with the most recent. Off-the-field issues have derailed Blackmon's once-promising NFL career. Blackmon played just two seasons (2012-13) and 20 games in the NFL.
Tennessee Titans
Best pick:Jevon Kearse (1999 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 16 overall)
The lowdown: Only players selected as Tennessee Titans will be considered, so no Houston Oilers (sorry, Earl Campbell and Bruce Matthews). With their first draft pick in their first season as the Tennessee Titans, the team took "The Freak." Kearse was a major contributor for a Titans team that rose from the ashes following the move from Houston to Nashville in 1999. In one of the greatest rookie seasons for a defensive player, Kearse had 14.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles. In the Titans' run to Super Bowl XXXIV, Kearse had three more sacks. Kearse is the Tennessee Titans' all-time sacks leader with 52 compiled over seven seasons with the team.
Worst pick:Jake Locker (2011 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 8 overall)
The lowdown: Locker was the first of three curious quarterback selections after the Carolina Panthers used the No. 1 overall pick on Cam Newton in the 2011 draft. After Locker went to the Titans, the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Blaine Gabbert at No. 10 overall and the Minnesota Vikings picked Christian Ponder at No. 12 overall. The 2011 draft class will go down as one of the most talented ever, but the Titans missed out on some of that talent by taking Locker. Locker lasted just four seasons with the Titans, started 23 games and retired in 2015 after injuries took a toll.
Follow Jim Reineking on Twitter @jimreineking.
