Current Los Angeles Chargers nose tackle Christian Covington has been a part of five teams since 2015. The Canadian is a continuous stalwart on defensive lines. With bloodlines to show for it, Covington looks to continue his career protecting his team’s zones from opponents. Let us look at his path to a very sturdy NFL career to date.
Defensive Tackle Christian Covington: Canadian NFL Profile
Background of a Canadian Footballer
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on October 16th, 1993, Covington attended Vancouver College Prep High School. While in school, he led his team to a provincial title while being named defensive MVP and Canada’s top defensive lineman. Covington completed high school with 276 tackles and 38 sacks and received academic all-Canadian honors. Christian’s father Grover Covington is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and is also the Canadian all-time sacks leader.
University Awards and Achievements
After accepting an offer to Rice University in Houston, Texas, Covington redshirted in his freshman year. In his full collegiate career, he completed 122 tackles with 23 of them for loss. He also had 11.5 sacks, four passes defended, two fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. Unfortunately, Covington suffered a season-ending knee injury in his senior year. He declared for the 2015 NFL entry draft shortly thereafter.
Covington received All C-USA first-team and All-America third-team honors. He was named to the Outland Trophy, Rotary Lombardi Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, and Bronko Nagurski watch lists.
Draft Projection and Selection
The Houston Texans selected Covington 216th overall in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Entry Draft. The BC Lions selected him 43rd overall in the fifth round of the 2015 CFL Entry Draft. Covington subsequently signed a four-year rookie contract with the Texans for $2,370,487. NFL Draft Analyst Lance Zierlein compared him to former defensive tackle Dwan Edwards.
During his pro day, Covington completed the 40-yard dash in 4.90 seconds, the 10-yard split in 1.68 seconds, the 20-yard split in 2.79 seconds, the 20-yard shuttle in 4.43 seconds, and the three-cone drill in 7.43 seconds. He also had a vertical jump of 30.5 inches, a broad jump of 9’3″, and a total of 24 reps on the bench press.
Scouts reported Covington’s dislocated knee injury suffered at Rice University as a red flag. The fact that he also left early after the knee injury would negatively impact his draft stock. He was also looked upon as undersized for the position, exposing a lack of strength. However, scouts also noted his good speed, athleticism, and coordination. Covington has good arm length and momentum where he can rush opposing linemen. With a grade averaging in the mid to high five range, his ceiling is predicted as a good backup in the NFL who can also contribute on special teams if needed.
Career To Date
After being drafted by the Texans, Covington has also played for the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, and his current team the Chargers. He has amassed to date 147 tackles with 17 of them for a loss. Covington also has 9.5 sacks, 21 quarterback hits, one forced fumble, and two passes defended in 87 games played.
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