Your mpg average does not seem that great. I'm averaging 18 and my torque converter is shot and my transmission fluid is burnt.
I agree with everything Slow has mentioned. If you don't need much off-road traction then avoid tires with an aggressive tread pattern. Generally, the quieter the tire, the better the MPGs. You can find these ratings at
tirerack.com Inflate them to maximum pressure, although this will cause a very harsh ride and poor handling if you don't haul a load.
You might consider a grill block during winter, but be very careful. My truck has an intercooler, oil cooler, transmission cooler, AC evaporator, and radiator all up front and they would all be affected by blocking the grill. The fan in my truck is always running, so I thought about replacing it with an electric fan.
I used to average somewhere around 20mpg when my transmission was solid and I had highway tires.
You should also look at your gearing. Many trucks are geared to haul a heavy load instead of reduce RPM on the highway and this will make a huge difference.
The bed cover is a good idea, but at 50mph I don't think you will see a huge difference. I pretty much only drive my truck when I need to haul something, so the convenience of not having a cover is good. If I were commuting with no load then I would certainly get a cover.