Texans vs. Eagles: Which Houston player would Philadelphia take?

A theme post the SB Nation NFL sites have been done in the past and will continue to do throughout this season is "Which [opposing team's] player would [your favorite team's] fans take?" With the Philadelphia Eagles set to take on the Houston Texans this week, it's time to address the question.

Defense

We'll start on defense because the obvious answer to this question is Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. You don't even have to think twice. Watt is a freak of nature. Through eight games this season, Watt has recorded: 7 sacks, 23 QB hits, 23 QB hurries, 7 batted passes, 21 tackles, 25 run stops, 1 forced fumble, 3 fumbles recovered, and 1 interception that was returned for a defensive touchdown. The Texans even lined up Watt as a tight end on a goal-line play against the Raiders and he caught an offensive touchdown. The Eagles will have their hands full trying to keep Watt in check.

But since Watt is such an obvious choice, BGN agreed with the folks over at Battle Red Blog that we couldn't pick him. Looking elsewhere on the Texans' defense, then, the next obvious option is Jadeveon Clowney. Like Watt, Clowney is freakishly intimidating. He's 6-6, 250 lbs, and was drafted at No. 1 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft for a reason. Clowney tore the meniscus in his knee in Week 1, but he's back now. The addition of Clowney to Philadelphia's front seven would be a lot of fun for them, but not so much for opposing offenses.

Honorable mention: cornerback Kareem Jackson

Offense

Texans running back Arian Foster currently ranks second in the NFL in yards gained with 766 on just 146 attempts for a 5.2 average. LeSean McCoy has gone through some struggles this season while only averaging 3.7 yards per carry but offensive line injuries haven't helped.

The bigger attraction on the Texans offense is veteran wide receiver Andre Johnson. Johnson will turn 34 in July but he's still playing at a high level. The 6-3, 230 pound pass catcher ranks 13th on the NFL's all-time receiving yards list and 12th overall this season with 551 yards on 46 catches.

I can't say I've watched much tape on the Texans offensive line but right guard Brandon Books graded out fairly positive on Pro Football Focus, for what that's worth. With Eagles veteran guard Todd Herremans dealing with a biceps injury, Brooks could be a nice stabilizing force while Philadelphia waits for Evan Mathis to return in Week 10 so that Matt Tobin can shift over to the right side of the line.

Honorable mention: Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver DAMARIS JOHNSON (mostly kidding)

If you were the Eagles, who would you take?

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