Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien has revealed that he is pleased with the progress of linebacker Jadeveon Clowney in the early stages of the season.

The Texans selected the 22-year-old with the first overall pick in the 2014 Draft, but his impact was limited in his rookie season as he sustained a knee injury, which required microfracture surgery.

Clowney was not able to return until midway through training camp and played sparingly in his side's first two matches of the campaign, but O'Brien has admitted that he is delighted with what he has seen so far from the linebacker.

"I think the more he plays, the better he'll get, I really do," O'Brien told reporters. "I think that his play count will go up each week.

"The more that he's in there, the more that it helps our team and the better he'll get. Because basically you're looking at a guy that's still in his rookie year, from a playing standpoint.

"He's shown us the signs of what we expect out of him, chasing the ball down, pressuring the quarterback, taking on blocks in the running game. I think the more experience he gets, the better he'll get."

Clowney has recorded six tackles this season.