The New Orleans Saints were well-represented on the 2019 Midseason NFL All-Pro Team from Pro Football Focus, with five players making the cut. The Saints have the most players on the list of the NFL’s 32 teams. Four of those five were players the Saints selected in the top-two rounds of recent drafts, highlighting how important it is to hit on those valuable picks.
Some names you’d expect to see on the Midseason All-Pro Team include wide receiver Michael Thomas and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk. Others that may surprise Saints fans are free safety Marcus Williams, and center Erik McCoy (who is one of just three rookies on the list, along with Oakland Raiders running back Josh Jacobs and Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Drue Tranquill). McCoy’s stellar pass-protection skills have translated to the NFL:
McCoy has been NFL-ready and then some in pass protection so far. He’s only allowed seven pressures on 326 pass-blocking snaps through the first eight games. McCoy ranks top-eight in both run- and pass-blocking grade among qualifying centers.
But the deepest cut for Saints fans may be defensive back J.T. Gray, a special teams ace who signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2018 out of Mississippi State. Gray has played the fourth-most snaps on special teams for New Orleans this season despite missing most of their game with the Chicago Bears after he blocked an early punt and was injured in the scrum. His inclusion on the Midseason All-Pro Team is a great reminder that while it’s critical for teams to make the most of their early-round picks on draft day, it’s just as important to find gems hidden in the rough once the draft is over.
