The first two seconds, Covey is scanning the field, looking to see where the blockers are aligned and where the opponent is attacking from. The next two seconds, he’s judging where the ball is going to land and trying to get within a 5-yard radius.
After that, Covey said: “The only thing you’re worrying about is the ball. … That’s why the focus is there.”
The Eagles desperately need that from their punt returner.
For the last two seasons, they went through the trials and tribulations with Jalen Reagor. There was the upside, when Reagor returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown in a December 2020 game against Green Bay. But there was also the downside, like against Tampa Bay in the playoffs last January, when he fumbled a punt that led to a Buccaneers touchdown, then muffed another one.
Even a fair catch would become an adventure at times.
And while Clay wasn’t asked to compare Covey to Reagor, he did provide a characterization of Covey that shows how much trust the Eagles have in Covey, even though he’s technically still on the practice squad.
