Andre Johnson has the receiver he wanted. More importantly, Matt Schaub has the end zone target he desperately needed.

The Houston Texans took Clemson wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins with the 27th pick in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night, adding a much-needed offensive weapon.

The 6-foot-1, 214-pound Hopkins doesn't have the breakaway speed of some of the receivers available to the Texans — and general manager Rick Smith had his pick of any receiver he wanted besides Tavon Austin. But he scores touchdowns (try 18 for the Tigers last season), makes big physical plays and delivers in the most important games (try 13 catches for 191 yards and two touchdowns in a bowl game against SEC power LSU).

"Nothing's too big for him," Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison said, knowing that's a good attribute for a player who will be expected to start immediately on a Super Bowl scheming team.

"When the ball's in the air I feel like it's mine," Hopkins said in a conference call after getting drafted.

Hopkins doesn't come without a little controversy. He was linked to the infamous hotel room trashing at the NFL combine.

"Enough to know it's not an issue," Dennison said when asked if the Texans looked into the hotel report.

"They knew I didn't have anything to do with," Hopkins said of the incident.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper termed Hopkins as a player who could contribute for the Texans right away.

The Texans took their sweet time in picking Hopkins even after they went on the clock, using almost all of their allotted window. Dennison admits there was debate in the draft room on whether the Texans should move down and not use the pick.

Kiper kept calling it "the craziest draft" he's ever seen on TV. Still the Texans stayed out of the drama, patiently waiting and waiting for No. 27. In many ways, the draft could not have broke better for them.

Schaub needs more playmakers around him. That much is beyond clear.

Johnson had 112 catches for 1,598 yards last season. The next highest receiver recorded 41 catches for 518 yards.

The first receiver taken in the draft was fast-rising West Virginia speedster Tavon Austin, who the St. Louis Rams traded up to the eighth pick to grab.

No other receivers went before the Texans pick came around at No. 27.

The Texans would have their pick from Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Robert Woods, Markus Wheaton, Cordarrelle Patterson, Terrance Williams and more.

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o — the man with the fake dead girlfriend — was also there.

Smith was anything but short of options. He went with the former all-state high school football and basketball player from South Carolina, dismissing any concerns about Hopkins' 4.57 40-yard time at the NFL Combine.

"He's fast enough," Dennision says.

Dennison went as far as saying Hopkins compares favorable to Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, who also happened to be a 27th pick. If Hopkins produces at anywhere close to White's level, the Texans will be overjoyed. They need something better than mediocre numbers to complement Johnson's throwback dominance.

Hopkins already brings a memorable nickname. His mom dubbed him Nuk (pronounced Nuke) early on because that's the brand name of the only type of pacifier he would accept. Now, the 20-year-old Hopkins is eager to accept a new role in Houston.

"I’ve been hearing the buzz, that Andre Johnson needed another wide receiver on the other side of him," Hopkins said of his thoughts on the Texans going into the draft. "When he said that, I was like, ‘I’m that guy.'

" 'I can help this team win a championship.' "

This is the first of nine picks for the Texans in the draft. It's hard to argue with Smith's track record in the NFL's talent grab. He's gotten impact players like Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed in the second round. He found Glover Quin (the Detroit Lions' new $25 million man) in the fourth round. He signed Arian Foster, one of the NFL's top offensive players, as an undrafted free agent.