The New Orleans Saints season opener is 78 days away. We continue our countdown to kickoff by placing the spotlight on center Erik McCoy.
Many have known how talented McCoy is for years. PFF ranked him as the fourth best center in the NFL. It wasn't until last season, however, that it became clear just how much he meant to the offensive line.
Erik McCoy’s value was on full display last year
McCoy went down in the third game of the year last season, and the impact was felt immediately. What would have been a fun matchup between McCoy and Jalen Carter quickly turned into Carter dominating the trenches.
The offensive line is more of a unit than any other position group on the field. It’s five men working together in synchronization. One missed assignment can derail every play. Losing your best player or your communicator in the unit can lead to severe issues. The Saints lost both simultaneously when McCoy went down due to injury.
It was at that point McCoy’s value to the Saints became abundantly clear the impact of his presence. You can excuse allowing Carter to wreck the game, but the interior offensive line never bounced back. McCoy's value to the team won’t lessen this year, either.
While the entire interior offensive line missed time, it all started with McCoy, and the dip in performance began before any other injuries occurred. The Saints had questions at left guard that could have been hidden through McCoy's presence.
Going into 2025, the Saints once again have a question mark at left guard. How well will Trevor Penning transition to left guard? The answer will remain a mystery until the season begins, but Penning's transition will be easier with McCoy on one side of him.
McCoy is savvy enough to understand when the guards next to him need assistance and talented enough to make up for some of their mistakes. The offensive line is clearly much more talented when McCoy is in the game.
McCoy has also been the one making most of the protection calls recently. With young quarterbacks at the helm, that part of McCoy's game will become increasingly important.