As an undrafted rookie, former University of Utah football star Britain Covey won’t have an easy path to the Philadelphia Eagles final roster. But reporters who cover the team say there’s a good chance he’ll earn a spot if he shows he can keep doing what he did best in college: returning kickoffs and punts for touchdowns.
“If he shows he can rejuvenate the Eagles’ moribund return game, he’s going to make this roster,” wrote NBC Sports’ Eagles Insider Reuben Frank in his July 17 column.
Covey, who at 5-foot-8 and around 175 pounds is much smaller than the average college or NFL player, scored on four punts and one kickoff return while playing for Utah. Rather than rely on his size to bust through coverage, he leaned on his speed and smarts.
“You can’t teach speed. More than that, you can’t teach playmaking ability. You can’t teach running with the ball or vision,” he told the Deseret News in April.
Heading into the NFL draft, Covey was aware that his return skills were his selling point. He said that his college experiences would serve him well in the fight to earn a roster spot.
“More than anything, as a player, you want to show what makes you unique. There are lots of different versions of similar players. I feel like I’m a unique type of player,” he told the Deseret News. “There are always concerns about size. But as long as you bring something unique to the table, I think those concerns fade away.”
The Philadelphia Eagles report to training camp next Tuesday, July 26.