6 things to know about Chargers DL Christian Covington

The Chargers signed defensive tackle Christian Covington to a one-year deal on Monday.

To get familiar with him, here are six things to know about the 27-year old.

Dad was a stud in the CFL

Covington’s father, Grover, was a star defensive end for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1981-1991. He is the league’s all-time sack leader (151). In 2000, he was inducted to the CFL Hall of Fame.

Collegiate career

Covington, the Canada native, played college football at Rice. He posted 78 tackles, 11.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in three seasons, and was named to the All-Conference USA team after his sophomore year. Covington was then drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth-round of the 2015 NFL draft.

Played out his rookie contract

It doesn’t happen that often where a sixth-round pick stays on the same team throughout his entire rookie contract, but Covington was among the few. Appearing in 50 games over four years, he had 65 tackles, 7.5 sacks and a forced fumble in those appearances. His best season came in 2018, a year where he posted eight quarterback hits and 3.5 sacks in 12 starts.

Bounced around the league

After experiencing his best football with the Texans, Covington has not been a mainstay. The past two years, he’s played for the Cowboys, Broncos (practice squad) and Bengals.

What he brings to the table

Covington is a long-armed interior defender who possesses great lateral quickness and burst to jump off the snap and get up field in the snap of a finger. When double-teamed, he utilizes his length to his advantage and strength & leverage to dominate them. Covington is versatile, capable of playing inside and outside of the tackles.

Could be in for a big year

Given the fact that his best playing days came with Houston in their 3-4 scheme, Covington could make an impact for the Chargers and their defensive system that features a three-man and hybrid fronts, even if it’s just as a rotational role.