New Patriots Defensive Coordinator Wants Certain Identity For Unit

All DeMarcus Covington wanted was a shot at presiding over a team’s defense.

Well, Covington will get that opportunity with the New England Patriots.

The Patriots officially tabbed Covington as the team’s defensive coordinator on Feb. 1 and the 34-year-old revealed the identity he wants New England’s defense to take on next season in his first public comments since the promotion.

“As coaches, always want to see a physical, aggressive (defense),” Covington said in a team-produced video. “A defense that plays with good fundamentals and discipline, and really attack the ball and take the ball away from the offense.”

Covington worked closely alongside new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo for the last several seasons. Covington worked as the defensive line coach for past four seasons and served as the outside linebackers coach in 2019. He got his start with the franchise as a coaching assistant in 2017.

“Jerod and I have been working together for the past five years, which has been great,” Covington said. “For us to kind of lean on one another, we see the same things and we’re able to challenge one another, too.

“I always talking about iron sharpens iron. He sharpens me, I’m able to sharpen him.”

Unlike the unit that Alex Van Pelt inherited, Covington will get his hands on a defense that is already in good shape — the Patriots ranked seventh in the NFL in yards allowed per game — and will have Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez back from injuries.

And it will be on Covington to try to get the defense to another level in 2024.

“I always look at what can I do and not try to be somebody else,” Covington said. “I look at how I get the players to play. How you’re able to become a teacher in the classroom and get those players to take it from the classroom to the grass.”