Saints Player of the Day Erik McCoy is one of the league’s top centers and a key to the New Orleans offense.

The New Orleans Saints are now 78 days away from opening their 2025 regular season. They’ll do it at home against the Arizona Cardinals, marking their 59th NFL season but first under new coach Kellen Moore. One of the key figures in the New Orleans offense is center Erik McCoy, who will be wearing No. 78 for his seventh year with the team. McCoy is our Saints Player of the Day.

Name (age): Erik McCoy (27)Hometown: Lufkin, TexasPosition: CenterCollege: Texas A&M AggiesRelative Athletic Score: 8.98Drafted: Round 2, 48th overall in 2019 (New Orleans Saints)NFL experience: 6 years2025 salary cap hit: $8,351,000

Out of Lufkin High School in Texas, McCoy stayed close to home with his college choice of the Aggies. He’d redshirt in 2015, then took over a starting guard spot the following season. McCoy would start all of the Aggies 39 games over the next three years. New Orleans then traded up in Round 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft to pick McCoy with the 48th overall choice. He was the fifth interior lineman selected that season.

Primarily a guard at Texas A&M, McCoy made the position switch to center as a rookie and was an immediate starter. He started all 16 games in 2019, playing 99% of the offensive snaps and earning All-Rookie honors. McCoy did not miss a start over his first two years and quickly worked his way among the NFL’s top interior blockers. Between 2021 and 2022, he’d miss nine games with various injuries but remain a dominant force when available.

In 2023, McCoy again started every game and played a career-high 1,152 offensive snaps while earning a long overdue Pro Bowl bid. A groin injury last season limited him to only seven games. Without McCoy, the New Orleans offensive line was in disarray most of the year. Recognizing his value by his absence, McCoy was awarded his second straight Pro Bowl.

Erik McCoy will be a major key to the Saints rebuilding offensive effort under Kellen Moore this season. He’s equally effective as both a run blocker and in pass protection, while adding an elite football IQ that allows him to make the line adjustments up front. McCoy’s return to health in 2025 will be one of the biggest factors to New Orleans offensive success.