 He was the highest selected Illinois defensive lineman since Simeon Rice was drafted third overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 1996.Immediately after the draft, Texans’ defensive coordinator Wade Phillips stated that Mercilus would be moved to outside linebacker.On June 13, 2012, the Texans signed Mercilus to a four-year, $7.63 million contract that includes $6.20 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $3.99 million.