Getty Christian Covington looks on before a Los Angeles Chargers game.
At 29, Chris Covington will be something of an elder statesman on the Detroit Lions‘ defensive line when the team meets for training camp next month.
When the veteran defensive tackle signed with the team on May 10, none of the other linemen on the roster were older than 26, as the Lions have infused some youth in the position over the past two seasons. The unit will be led by Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston, who as rookies combined for 17.5 sacks last season, with Covington likely competing for a reserve spot and insurance policy in case of injury.
But while his veteran presence and locker room leadership give an advantage to Covington, one insider believes he may still need a strong showing in training camp to secure a spot on the team’s final 53-man roster.
Chris Covington Needs to Prove Himself
In a preview of the likely depth chart at defensive line, Christian Booher of SI.com’s All Lions noted that Covington comes to the Lions with a long track record of solid play in the NFL. He has appeared in 102 games over the course of an eight-year career, though is coming off an injury-shortened season with the Los Angeles Chargers where he appeared in a career-low four games.
Booher wrote that Covington will still need to prove he can bring more than veteran leadership in order to secure a spot on the final roster.
Christian Covington is headed to the @Lions! 🦁
“Christian Covington is an eight-year pro has seen plenty and has been productive at times in his career,” he wrote. “That level of leadership could pave a way for him to secure a role, but he will have to have a strong camp.”
Covington came into the league in 2016 as a sixth-round draft pick of the Houston Texans. His most productive season came with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020, when he started 14 games and made a career-high 39 tackles.
More Youth for Lions Defensive Line
After adding Hutchinson and Houston in last year’s NFL Draft, the Lions made another big investment this year by taking Brodric Martin with a third-round pick. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound defensive lineman earned some praise from Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew, who noted the big potential that the team sees in him.
“The thing about Brodric is he’s got to develop some more but there’s a lot of upside with the guy,” Agnew said. “First of all he’s big, powerful and strong. He’s got some technique stuff (to work on), but everything about him is fixable.
“I think our d-line coaches do a great job of teaching him how to play the game. But he’s a big, powerful man that when he strikes blocks you see the offensive lineman go back. There’s a lot in that body. We’re excited about him.”
Given the young nature of Detroit’s defensive line, Covington could play an important role in the coming season. Before suffering a torn pectoral that wiped out most of his 2022 season, Covington had been a steady veteran presence, appearing in 16 games for each of the previous three seasons.
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Lions Rumors: 8-Year NFL Vet Needs Strong Training Camp to Make Roster