This week, Pro Football Focus ranked the top 101 performances of the 2017 season. Two Texans players made the list after their Pro Bowl campaigns, DeAndre Hopkins and Jadeveon Clowney. Rookie Deshaun Watson missed this year's 101, but is one of ten players projected to have a standout 2018 season.
Hopkins, who also earned First-Team All-Pro honors for the first time in his five-year career, led the NFL with 13 receiving touchdowns and in targets (174) in 2017. PFF graded Hopkins with a 35.2 percent threat rate, higher than Julio Jones (34.9) or Antonio Brown (32.2). Threat rate is calculated as the percent of time an eligible receiver is targeted , excluding throwaways, batted passes and spikes.
According to PFF, Hopkins caught five deep, touchdown passes, tied for third-most among wide receivers.
Jadeveon Clowney earned a spot at No. 63 after starting all 16 games for the first time in his four-year career and earning back-to-back Pro Bowl berths. The former No. 1 overall pick set single-season career highs in sacks (9.5), quarterback hits (21), forced fumbles (two), fumble recoveries (two), total tackles (59). Clowney also finished second in the NFL with a team-high 21 tackles for loss, also a single-season best.
"With injuries hitting the Houston Texans defense hard, Jadeveon Clowney had to graduate in a hurry from complementary piece to the most important player on that defensive front," PFF's Sam Monson writes. "He responded well and recorded his second-consecutive career-best overall PFF grade, an 88.3 that narrowly edges the season before."
PFF also gave a sneak peek at 10 players projected to make the 2018 Top 101. Deshaun Watson ranked second behind 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
"Watson led the league in big-time throw percentage at 7.49, as he created chunk plays both inside and outside of the offensive structure," according to Monson.
Through seven games with six starts, Watson threw for 1,699 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also rushed for 269 yards on 36 attempts, averaging 7.5 yards per carry, and scored two touchdowns.
Check out some of the best photos of QB Deshaun Watson during his rookie season.
