SF 49ers: 3 things to know about new DC DeMeco Ryans

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DeMeco Ryans #59 of the Houston Texans (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

No. 3: 2006 DROY

In the 2006 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans had the No. 1 overall selection. Many thought they might take running back Reggie Bush out of USC with the said pick, as he was the most dynamic player in college football and had won the Heisman Trophy the previous season.

The Texans instead selected Mario Williams, a defensive end out of North Carolina State with the pick. With their second-round (33rd overall) selection, they drafted linebacker DeMeco Ryans out of Alabama.

Ryans effectively outperformed his rookie teammate, Williams, throughout the season. He picked up 156 total tackles which put him second in the league in that stat, and a whopping 126 of those were solo tackles which led the league. He also logged 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception.

For his amazing rookie performance, he earned the 2006 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award.