Every pick in the NFL draft carries its own history, and the 25th overall selection is no different. While it may not carry the star power of a top-10 pick, No. 25 has produced its share of difference-makers, role players, and a few forgettable names.
Of course, it’s also the pick Houston Texans fans know far too well since it’s usually where they’ve selected in years they’ve made the playoffs. Last season they owned the No. 23 pick before trading it to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for two second-round picks, including one used in the Stefon Diggs trade with Buffalo ahead of the draft.
As the Texans prepare to pick at No. 25 overall in the 2025 NFL draft, we’re looking back at the last 15 players selected with that selection. Of those 15 players, six of them made the Pro Bowl at least once, three were All-Pros and two of them won a Super Bowl.
2024: OT Jordan Morgan
School: Arizona
Team drafted: Green Bay Packers
Stats: Six games played, 1 start
2023: TE Dalton Kincaid
School: Utah
Team drafted: Buffalo Bills
Career stats: 117 catches, 1,121 yards, 4 TDs
2022: OL Tyler Linderbaum
School: Iowa
Team drafted: Baltimore Ravens
Career stats: 49 career starts
Accolades: 2x Pro Bowl member (2023, 2024), PFWA All-Rookie Team selection
2021: RB Travis Etienne
School: Clemson
Team drafted: Jacksonville Jaguars
Career stats: 637 carries, 2,691 yards, 18 TDs
2020: WR Brandon Aiyuk
School: Arizona State
Team drafted: San Francisco 49ers
Career stats: 294 catches, 4,305 yards, 25 TDs
Accolades: 2023 second-team All-Pro
2019: WR Hollywood Brown
School: Oklahoma
Team drafted: Baltimore Ravens
Other teams: Arizona Cardinals (2022-23), Kansas City Chiefs (2024-present)
Career stats: 322 catches, 3,735 yards, 28 TDs
2018: TE Hayden Hurst
School: South Carolina
Team drafted: Baltimore Ravens
Other teams: Atlanta Falcons (2020-21), Cincinnati Bengals (2022), Carolina Panthers (2023), Los Angeles Chargers (2024)
Career stats: 203 catches, 1,975 yards, 15 TDs
2017: DB Jabrill Peppers
School: Michigan
Team drafted: Cleveland Browns
Other teams: New York Giants (2019-2021), New England Patriots (2022-Present)
Career stats: 511 tackles, 33 pass breakups, 7 INTs, 5.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 8 fumble recoveries
2016: CB Artie Burns
School: Miami
Team drafted: Pittsburgh Steelers
Other teams: Chicago Bears (2020-21), Seattle Seahawks (2022-24), Miami Dolphins (2025)
Career stats: 199 tackles, 38 pass breakups, 4 INTs, 8 TFLs, 1 forced fumble
2015: LB Shaq Thompson
School: Washington
Team drafted: Carolina Panthers
Career stats: 755 tackles, 12 sacks, 26 pass breakups, 3 INTs, 4 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries
2014: CB Jason Verrett
School: TCU
Team drafted: San Diego Chargers
Other teams: San Francisco 49ers (2019-22, 2023), Houston Texans (2023)
Career accolades: Pro Bowl (2015)
Career stats: 145 tackles, 26 pass breakups, 7 INTs, 8 TFLs, 1 defensive touchdown
2013: CB Xavier Rhodes
School: Florida State
Team drafted: Minnesota Vikings
Other teams: Indianapolis Colts (2021-22), Dallas Cowboys (2022), Buffalo Bills (2022)
Career accolades: Three Pro Bowl appearances (2016, 2017, 2019), First-team All-Pro (2017)
Career stats: 452 tackles, 98 pass breakups, 13 INTs, 28 TFLs, 2 defensive touchdown
2012: LB Dont’a Hightower
School: Alabama
Team drafted: New England Patriots
Career accolades: Three-time Super Bowl champion (2014, 2016, 2018), two-time Pro Bowl (2016, 2019), Second-team All-Pro (2016)
Career stats: 569 tackles, 27 sacks, 19 pass breakups, 1 INT, 4 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 2 defensive touchdowns
2011: OL James Carpenter
School: Alabama
Team drafted: Seattle Seahawks
Other teams: New York Jets (2015-18), Atlanta Falcons (2019-20), Baltimore Ravens (2021)
Career stats: 132 games played, 122 starts
2010: QB Tim Tebow
School: Florida
Team drafted: Denver Broncos
Other teams: New York Jets (2012), New England Patriots (2013), Philadelphia Eagles (2015)
Career stats: 2,422 yards, 47.9% completion percentage, 17 TDs, 9 INTs, 75.5 passer rating, 989 rushing yards, 12 rushing TDs
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: 2025 NFL Draft: Every player drafted 25th overall in the last 10 years
Every pick in the NFL draft carries its own history, and the 25th overall selection is no different. While it may not carry the star power of a top-10 pick, No. 25 has produced its share of difference-makers, role players, and a few forgettable names.
Of course, it’s also the pick Houston Texans fans know far too well since it’s usually where they’ve selected in years they’ve made the playoffs. Last season they owned the No. 23 pick before trading it to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for two second-round picks, including one used in the Stefon Diggs trade with Buffalo ahead of the draft.
As the Texans prepare to pick at No. 25 overall in the 2025 NFL draft, we’re looking back at the last 15 players selected with that selection. Of those 15 players, six of them made the Pro Bowl at least once, three were All-Pros and two of them won a Super Bowl.
2024: OT Jordan Morgan
School: Arizona
Team drafted: Green Bay Packers
Stats: Six games played, 1 start
2023: TE Dalton Kincaid
School: Utah
Team drafted: Buffalo Bills
Career stats: 117 catches, 1,121 yards, 4 TDs
2022: OL Tyler Linderbaum
School: Iowa
Team drafted: Baltimore Ravens
Career stats: 49 career starts
Accolades: 2x Pro Bowl member (2023, 2024), PFWA All-Rookie Team selection
2021: RB Travis Etienne
School: Clemson
Team drafted: Jacksonville Jaguars
Career stats: 637 carries, 2,691 yards, 18 TDs
2020: WR Brandon Aiyuk
School: Arizona State
Team drafted: San Francisco 49ers
Career stats: 294 catches, 4,305 yards, 25 TDs
Accolades: 2023 second-team All-Pro
2019: WR Hollywood Brown
School: Oklahoma
Team drafted: Baltimore Ravens
Other teams: Arizona Cardinals (2022-23), Kansas City Chiefs (2024-present)
Career stats: 322 catches, 3,735 yards, 28 TDs
2018: TE Hayden Hurst
School: South Carolina
Team drafted: Baltimore Ravens
Other teams: Atlanta Falcons (2020-21), Cincinnati Bengals (2022), Carolina Panthers (2023), Los Angeles Chargers (2024)
Career stats: 203 catches, 1,975 yards, 15 TDs
2017: DB Jabrill Peppers
School: Michigan
Team drafted: Cleveland Browns
Other teams: New York Giants (2019-2021), New England Patriots (2022-Present)
Career stats: 511 tackles, 33 pass breakups, 7 INTs, 5.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 8 fumble recoveries
2016: CB Artie Burns
School: Miami
Team drafted: Pittsburgh Steelers
Other teams: Chicago Bears (2020-21), Seattle Seahawks (2022-24), Miami Dolphins (2025)
Career stats: 199 tackles, 38 pass breakups, 4 INTs, 8 TFLs, 1 forced fumble
2015: LB Shaq Thompson
School: Washington
Team drafted: Carolina Panthers
Career stats: 755 tackles, 12 sacks, 26 pass breakups, 3 INTs, 4 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries
2014: CB Jason Verrett
School: TCU
Team drafted: San Diego Chargers
Other teams: San Francisco 49ers (2019-22, 2023), Houston Texans (2023)
Career accolades: Pro Bowl (2015)
Career stats: 145 tackles, 26 pass breakups, 7 INTs, 8 TFLs, 1 defensive touchdown
2013: CB Xavier Rhodes
School: Florida State
Team drafted: Minnesota Vikings
Other teams: Indianapolis Colts (2021-22), Dallas Cowboys (2022), Buffalo Bills (2022)
Career accolades: Three Pro Bowl appearances (2016, 2017, 2019), First-team All-Pro (2017)
Career stats: 452 tackles, 98 pass breakups, 13 INTs, 28 TFLs, 2 defensive touchdown
2012: LB Dont’a Hightower
School: Alabama
Team drafted: New England Patriots
Career accolades: Three-time Super Bowl champion (2014, 2016, 2018), two-time Pro Bowl (2016, 2019), Second-team All-Pro (2016)
Career stats: 569 tackles, 27 sacks, 19 pass breakups, 1 INT, 4 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 2 defensive touchdowns
2011: OL James Carpenter
School: Alabama
Team drafted: Seattle Seahawks
Other teams: New York Jets (2015-18), Atlanta Falcons (2019-20), Baltimore Ravens (2021)
Career stats: 132 games played, 122 starts
2010: QB Tim Tebow
School: Florida
Team drafted: Denver Broncos
Other teams: New York Jets (2012), New England Patriots (2013), Philadelphia Eagles (2015)
Career stats: 2,422 yards, 47.9% completion percentage, 17 TDs, 9 INTs, 75.5 passer rating, 989 rushing yards, 12 rushing TDs
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: 2025 NFL Draft: Every player drafted 25th overall in the last 10 years