The Houston Texans have tapped into the small-school talent pool often in recent years, and they could do so again in the 2018 NFL Draft. Guys like Julie’n Davenport (Bucknell) and Dylan Cole (Missouri State) made immediate impacts as rookies in Houston in 2017. Who will join them this year?

Here are five small-school (FCS-level or lower) who Texans fans should be familiar with on NFL draft weekend.

Zack Sieler, DT, Ferris State

Sieler is obscure enough as an early entrant that the vast USA TODAY photo database doesn’t contain a single photo of the Ferris State star. As one of the few folks who’s actually seen him play in person, here’s what you need to know about Sieler:

• He’s almost exactly the same size as J.J. Watt (6-6 and 290) and comes with a similar build.
• 29.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks as a junior while playing in the top D-II conference
• At Michigan’s pro day, Sieler clocked a 4.78 40-yard dash, benched 31 reps and posted the best 3-cone drill and broad jump of any DE prospect in this draft.

He’s a Day Three talent with high upside from a conference which produces legit NFL talent (Matt Judon, Brandon Carr, Jeff Janis, Adam Shaheen among many others) every year.

Danny Johnson, CB, Southern

One of the best playmaking corners in this class, the 5-10 Johnson picked off 18 career passes for the FCS-level Jaguars. He started all four years, 45 games total, and also served as one of the most dangerous return specialists. Johnson was versatile enough to get reps at running back and wide receiver, but he’s at his best playing off-man coverage and attacking everything in the air. Bill O’Brien and the Texans coaches got a firsthand look at Johnson when they coached him on the South roster at January’s Senior Bowl.

As a bonus, he’s already got a fantastic nickname: Louisiana Pimp Dog. The swaggy moniker fits his hyper-confident style of play. Johnson needs some refinement in his technique and doesn’t play the run with desired enthusiasm, which is why he should be available to Gaine and the Texans in the sixth round.

Michael Joseph, CB, Dubuque

Joseph earned a Senior Bowl nod thanks to his size (6-1) and 15 interceptions in three years playing at Dubuque, a Division III school in Iowa. He played every CB spot and thrived, albeit at the lower level of competition.

The athletic traits are there, but Joseph needs technical refinement and better eye discipline. He struggled some with physicality and double moves during Senior Bowl practices, and his build is eerily similar to current Texans CB Kevin Johnson. Most projections have Joseph as a seventh-rounder or priority free agent.

John Franklin-Myers, DE, Stephen F. Austin

An athletic monster at 6-4 and 292 pounds, Franklin-Myers plays with a street-fighting style that often overwhelmed blockers at the FCS level.

He dominated the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl practice sessions and worked out for the Texans at the team’s local prospect pro day. Franklin-Myers is a natural projection for Houston at defensive end and could be in play in the sixth round, when Houston holds three picks.

Vyncint Smith, WR, Limestone

Another player too obscure to even have a single photo in the database, Smith drew a lot of attention with a mighty impressive performance at South Carolina’s pro day:

The Texans had Smith in for a private visit and buzz continues to build for the prodigious D-II wideout. I’d comment more but I’ve yet to see him play other than a highlight reel.