It's impossible to overstate the impact of the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Watt is one of the most disruptive forces to ever play the game with his blend of pass-rushing and run-stopping skills and relentless style of play. As long as he's recuperating from surgery to repair a herniated disc, the Texans' defense won't be nearly as stout. The good news for the Texans is Watt is expected to make a full recovery, and there's still optimism that he'll be ready for the season opener against the Chicago Bears. While Watt is sidelined, the Texans will have plenty of snaps to distribute between Devon Still, Christian Covington, Jeofrrey Pagan and Brandon Dunn at Watt's usual left defensive end spot and the right defensive end vacancy created by former starter Jared Crick signing with the Broncos. A former Cincinnati Bengals second-round draft pick, Still is an early frontrunner on the right side. A former Rice standout, Covington isn't far behind him after some promising work during organized team activities and minicamps.