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Covey

Covey is technically still on injured reserve but the Eagles activated his 21-day practice window earlier today. While he is not expected to meaningfully contribute as a wide receiver, his return to the primary punt returner role is certainly helpful.

Injuries continue to pile up for the Eagles receiver room, as A.J. Brown (hamstring), DeVonta Smith (concussion), and now Covey are all dealing with various ailments. Covey’s six-week absence will land him on injured reserve. Meanwhile the Eagles’ top receiver in Week 4 is setting up to be Jahan Dotson if Brown and Smith are unable to go.

Say the line, blurb box: He’ll miss at least the next four weeks. Covey had only seen 39 offensive snaps in three games with the Eagles, but caught six balls for 23 yards against the Falcons in Week 2. The Eagles signed Jack Stoll, a tight end, to the active roster to replace Covey.

Covey saw six targets sans A.J. Brown in Week 2 and was set for another sizable role this week before going down in the first half. His snaps will be replaced with a mix of Parris Campbell and rookie Johnny Wilson.

Covey stepped into a secondary role in the absence of alpha wide receiver A.J. Brown. Brown’s absence shifted DeVonta Smith into heavier perimeter snaps, which paved the way for Covey to see the field in a slot wide receiver role. His fantasy value likely remains low considering a low aDOT and modest snap rate, meaning Brown managers can do better to make up for his lost production in the immediate future.

Covey had a productive career at Utah, amassing 2,311 yards from scrimmage and 11 offensive touchdowns to go along with five return scores, enough to earn him an All-American spot as a returner. The bad news is he stands 5-foot-8, 169 pounds, is already 25, and disappointed at his Pro Day. He can find an NFL home as a return specialist, but his path to fantasy relevance is narrow.

324 players were extended NFL Scouting Combine invites, but unfortunately Utah’s dynamic slot receiver Covey (5'8/170) was not one of them. Though he’s one of the more seasoned players in this year’s draft at 25 years old, Covey is a versatile player who is also an exceptional return man, taking three of his last 34 punt returns for touchdowns and earning a 90.1 kick return grade in 2020. He was especially effective on quick slants and shallow crosses, as his 90.9 PFF receiving grade on short passes will attest, but was rarely targeted past 10-yards which highlights his limitations on offense. He will try to carve out a Hunter Renfroe/Cole Beasley-type niche in the NFL and is a late-Day 3/UDFA level talent at this point.

After being on campus since 2015, Covey (5'8/170) ended his career at Utah with a brilliant performance. He started the scoring by taking a simple hitch route 19 yards for a touchdown. He was surrounded by Buckeyes, but cut upfield and evaded multiple defenders for the score. After Jaxon Smith-Njigba snagged a 50-yard score, Covey returned a kickoff 97-yards for a touchdown. Throughout the rest of the game, the Buckeyes kept kicking to Covey, who returned for 208 yards on the afternoon. He finished his college career with five return touchdowns and should be a valued commodity in the draft come April.

In only three games played this year, Covey posted a 19-264-3 receiving line. Not only that, but he also impacted those games on special teams as a kick and punt returner, with a punt-return TD against Oregon State. Utah’s season is over at 3-2. Covey will have to decide if he wants to return for a sixth season of eligibility in 2021. Utah would certainly welcome the playmaker back.

Covey (5’8/172) also did a ton of damage as a returner, turning three kick returns into 88 yards for a 29.3 YPR average and three punt returns into 44 yards for a 14.7 YPR average. Covey only made his 2020 debut last week against Oregon State, posting a 4-54-1 receiving line and a returning a punt for a touchdown against Oregon State. Utah is happy to have him back, as new grad transfer QB Jake Bentley had mostly forced targets to H-back Brant Kuithe in the first two games, rendering the passing offense extremely one-dimensional.