Britain Covey has found a way to stick on the Eagles roster over the last two seasons. His kick and punt return abilities have seen him play in 33 of 34 regular season games.

That streak will be challenged this summer, though.

The Eagles put Covey on watch when they drafted Ainias Smith in the fifth round. Much like Covey, Smith is a bit undersized as a receiver. The 5’9″, 190-pounder was actually utilized as a running back early in his Texas A&M career, but was an All-SEC selection as a return man.

Covey has already shown that he doesn’t offer much as a receiver. He had six targets in 2023 and none in 2022.

Smith has the potential to become an auxiliary weapon in the Philadelphia offense. Here’s B/R scout Derrik Klassen on what he brings to an offense:

“Smith checks a lot of boxes. He isn’t elite at anything, but he has the quickness, yards-after-the-catch skills and catch-point toughness to contribute in the NFL. Smith would fit best in a horizontal passing offense that does not task him with blocking.”

The Eagles slot position is still relatively open. They added Parris Campbell in free agency, but he’s been injury prone throughout his career. If Smith can prove to be an asset there while offering some return potential, he might bump Covey off the roster.