In 2011 the Texans had a very different game plan heading into the first round of the NFL Draft. The player they wanted was Patrick Peterson, cornerback out of LSU. General manager and executive president Rick Smith had planned to trade picks with San Francisco to get Peterson. When the Cardinals took Peterson with the fifth-overall pick, the Texans had to readjust their strategy. Did they still want to trade with the 49ers for the seventh-pick and linebacker Aldon Smith? They didn't. Instead, Houston kept their original position at number 11 and drafted a rookie named J.J. Watt.
Watt was named Associate Press 2012 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, awarded back-to-back AP All-Pro recognitions, and will make his second-consecutive Pro Bowl trip next month.
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