The New Orleans Saints won’t make it official yet, but it seems all but certain that rookie center Erik McCoy will kick off his first NFL game from within the starting lineup. And that may have been the case ever since the Saints traded up to get him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, making the Texas A&M alum a top priority for them in the aftermath of Max Unger’s retirement.
McCoy hasn’t been seriously challenged in practice since the first week of Saints training camp, way back in late July. He dominated first-team practice reps throughout the summer, with veteran free agent signee Nick Easton slipping down the depth chart.