As difficult as it may be to believe, a third of the 2025 NFL regular season is already in the books.
Through the first six weeks of this campaign, the Green Bay Packers sit in first place in the NFC North and second in the conference as a whole with a 3-1-1 record. And one of the biggest reasons for that has been the dominance of the defensive line.
Now, there's no getting around the fact that the addition of Micah Parsons has made Green Bay's D-line better. That just goes with acquiring a guy who can only be described as a generational talent.
But even beyond Parsons, who ranks first among all edge rushers with a 92.4 overall PFF defensive grade, by the way (that just has to continue to kill Cowboys fans, given the state of that dreadful defense), the Packers made another acquisition ahead of the season that's made a massive difference, that being defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington.
DeMarcus Covington looks to be in line to be the Packers' next defensive coordinator
For those unfamiliar, Covington was actually a wide receiver during his playing days in the FCS at Samford but switched to the defensive side of the ball when he began his coaching career at UAB as a graduate assistant in 2012.
After short stints at Ole Miss, UT Martin, and Eastern Illinois, the Alabama native got his shot at the pros in 2017 with the New England Patriots, with whom he spent eight seasons in various roles, first as a general assistant under Bill Belichick, then as a linebackers coach, then as a defensive line coach, and then as defensive coordinator.
The Pats opted not to retain Covington when Mike Vrabel was hired this past January, and when the Packers opted not to bring back Jason Rebrovich, who was a holdover from former defensive coordinator Joe Barry's staff and couldn't adjust when new DC Jeff Hafley switched the Green Bay defense from a 3-4 to a 4-3, Covington seemed like a perfect fit and was hired a few weeks after being let go by New England.
Again, there's no denying the effect Parsons has had on the Packers' defensive line. But even before Micah arrived, Covington had already made a significant impact during training camp, and that impact has clearly carried over into the regular season.
Rashan Gary earned his first Pro Bowl selection a season ago and looks even stronger this year, ranking in the top 10 in the NFL in sacks with 4.5 in five games.
Lukas Van Ness, the 2023 first-rounder who legit looked like he could be a cut candidate before camp began, was actually in line to crack the starting lineup for the first time before the addition of Parsons, as Covington had him playing better than he ever has during the preseason.
And that's continued into the season, as his 74.2 overall PFF grade is the highest of his career and ranks in the top 40 among all edge rushers, which is wonderful for any backup at any position. Hopefully, that continues once he returns from the foot injury he sustained while sacking Joe Flacco in Green Bay's win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Before injuring his knee in the Packers' 40-40 tie with the Cowboys, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt was having a solid season, racking up 13 total pressures and a pair of sacks. Colby Wooden, who replaced Kenny Clark, is having the best season of his career. Kingsley Enagbare continues to be a solid presence. Rookie Barryn Sorrell continues to improve with each passing week.
The list goes on and on, and Covington deserves all the credit in the world for what he's done with this group. The Packers may not have a ton of sacks thus far, ranking 19th in the league with an even dozen, but defensive line play is obviously so much more than just getting after the quarterback.
Stopping the run is just as important (just ask Jerry Jones about that), and no team has been better in that regard over the first six weeks, as Green Bay has allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFL at only 73.0 per game.
Simply put, Covington has been a game-changing hire for Green Bay thus far. And if Hafley ends up leaving to become a head coach elsewhere, which seems like a real possibility at this point, one would assume Covington will be in line to become the Packers' next defensive coordinator.