Patriots defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington to work as defensive coordinator at the Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl presented its coaching staffs for the 2023 edition on Wednesday morning, and among the names announced was one member of the New England Patriots. Defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington will serve as defensive coordinator for the American squad.

Covington, 33, is coming off his sixth season in New England and third working with the D-linemen. He led one of the most disruptive units in the league in 2022 and will now get a chance to showcase his talents on a wider scale and in a prominent setting.

Together with the Scouting Combine and the East-West Shrine Bowl, after all, the Senior Bowl is one of the premier showcase events on the pre-draft calendar. Working at the game and in the one week of lead-up practices, will be a welcome opportunity for a young up-and-comer in NFL coaching circles.

“As a coach, a player, you have to enjoy the process, enjoy the preparation,” Covington told reporters during the 2022 season. “You almost have to love the preparation almost as much as you love the game day because you practice more than you get to play in the game. It makes the games a unique opportunity.”

After starting his coaching career at the college level, Covington arrived in New England in 2017 as a coaching assistant. After two seasons at the job, he moved to outside linebackers coach in 2019 and eventually into his current position a year later.

“I love working with DC,” said Patriots linebackers coach Steve Belichick. “He’s a really passionate coach. He’s got great energy. He’s really smart in his schemes. He understands the back end really well. … He’s eager to learn. I love working with him. Close friend in the building as well as off the field. I love working with DC. He brings a lot to our staff.”

Covington playing a prominent role in the Senior Bowl this year will also give the Patriots a unique opportunity to scout some of the premier college players entering the draft. It is not the only one of its kind: New England’s coaching staff will also coach one of the teams at the Shrine Bowl in February.

As far as the Senior Bowl is concerned, the Patriots have never shied away from investing into the pool of players invited. Last year, they drafted four alumni: first-round guard Cole Strange, fourth-round quarterback Bailey Zappe, sixth-round guard Chasen Hines, and seventh-round offensive tackle Andrew Stueber.

The 2023 version of the Senior Bowl, featuring Covington, will take place on Feb. 4 in Mobile, AL.