Abstract: The present disclosure describes puncture-resistant fabric layers comprising woven fabrics with unique, densely-woven structures. For example, such a fabric layer ca comprise a high cover factor woven fabric having a fill yarn cover factor of at least about 75% of full and a warp yarn cover factor of at least about 100% of full formed of a plurality of fill yarns and a plurality of warp yarns, wherein the weight per unit length of the fill yarns is less than the weight per unit length of the warp yarns. Such constructions can, in some embodiments, consist essentially of high tenacity fibers having a tensile breaking strength of at least about 10 g/Denier. Such high cover, small fill yarn constructions enable the disclosed fabrics to be woven to have a decreased overall weight per unit surface area and an improved tensile balance, when compared to known high cover factor, densely woven fabric constructions.