With five weeks of Pro Bowl voting remaining, 13 Texans players rank in the top five in the AFC in fan voting at their respective positions.
Running back Arian Foster leads the way with 333,396 votes. That ranks third overall among all NFL players, trailing only Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (376,981 votes) and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (345,036 votes). Foster, who has been to back-to-back Pro Bowls, ranks third in the NFL with 872 rushing yards and leads the league witih 12 total touchdowns.
Texans defensive end J.J. Watt has 202,904 votes, more than any other NFL defensive player. Next-best is Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, who has 156,688 votes. Watt leads the NFL with 10.5 sacks and has a team-leading 10 passes defensed through nine games.
According to ESPN.com, 11 other Texans are in the top five at their respective positions.
Matt Schaub ranks fourth among AFC quarterbacks, a position where three players make the Pro Bowl roster. James Casey ranks second at fullback behind former Texan Vonta Leach, with only one roster spot up for grabs.
At tight end, where the top two vote-getters make the Pro Bowl, Owen Daniels ranks second behind New England's Rob Gronkowski.
At tackle, where the top three make the Pro Bowl, Texans left tackle Duane Brown ranks fourth.
At guard, where the top three make it, Texans right guard Antoine Caldwell ranks third and left guard Wade Smith ranks fourth.
At center, where the top two make it, 2011 Pro Bowler Chris Myers ranks fifth.
At cornerback, where the top three make it, 2011 Pro Bowler Johnathan Joseph ranks fourth. Kareem Jackson, who's tied for the AFC lead with four interceptions, ranks fifth.
At strong safety, which has two Pro Bowl roster spots per conference, Glover Quin ranks fifth. Linebacker Bryan Braman ranks second in the "special teamer" category, in which one player makes it each year.
Fan voting comprises one-third of the final tally along with voting from players and coaches. Voting will continue online through Monday, Dec. 17. LINK
Twitter.com/NickScurfield