Houston Texans: Preseason depth chart projection
By Randy Gurzi
Defensive End: J.J. Watt, Christian Covington
Of course J.J. Watt will line up at defensive end for the Houston Texans. He’s quite simply the best defensive player in the NFL and the only thing that can slow him down would be injuries.
Sadly he has had his share of those as five torn core muscles and a broken hand plagued his 2015 season. Now after a surgery early in the offseason repaired one of the muscle tears, Watt has had to undergo back surgery which will force him to miss somewhere between eight-to-10 weeks.
He should be ready to go by the start of the regular season according to reports, but hopefully the layoff won’t hamper his conditioning.
Christian Covington could be in line to replace Jared Crick who left this offseason to join the Denver Broncos. Covington played at nearby Rice and was a steal so late in the draft.
He won’t wow anyone with his athleticism, but Covington is plenty strong enough to hold up in the Texans 3-4 scheme. His main competition for a spot will be newcomer Devon Still, but after a full year layoff from the league, the former second round selection of the Cincinnati Bengals is a long shot to start from the beginning.
Next: Nose Tackle