NEW YORK — The Houston Texans never got out of last place in the NFL and finished there yesterday, securing the first pick in the NFL draft and possibly the rights to Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush.

Houston lost 20-17 in overtime to San Francisco, and that gave the Texans (2-14) the chance to take USC's Bush, assuming he decides to declare for the draft after the top-ranked Trojans play No. 2 Texas in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday.

Bush has a year of college eligibility remaining.

New Orleans (3-13) has the second pick and will be followed by Tennessee, the New York Jets and Green Bay (all 4-12). Two other 4-12 teams, San Francisco and Oakland, will pick sixth and seventh, but the order was to be determined by last night's game between St. Louis and Dallas because the tiebreakers involve games played by those two teams.

If Houston had won, the Saints would have received the top pick.

"I hope this is the last time we have the No. 1 pick," said Texans owner Bob McNair, who said he would address the team's coaching situation today, a day after it was reported the Texans will fire coach Dom Capers. "At the same time, it is of great value to us. ... We're going to have four picks in the first 70 players. That means we're going to get some good players."

"It's a little premature right now to say who we're taking," said general manager Charley Casserly, who's expected to keep his job. "But I think everybody knows we aren't taking Matt Leinart."

The NFL will announce those picks and the rest of the draft order today.