A dovetail root of a fan blade configured for operation within the fan assembly of a gas turbine engine. The dovetail root is imparted with a compressive residual stress layer along the outer faces of the dovetail root preventing crack formation within the dovetail root when the gas turbine engine is in operation. To further protect and structurally enhance the dovetail root, a wear covering is disposed on the dovetail root. The wear covering may consist of a composite laminate layer that is bonded to the metallic core of the dovetail root providing additional cracking protection of the dovetail root when the gas turbine engine is in operation.