While no Aggies went in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, round two and round three saw two former Texas A&M players earn a place on the roster of the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers.
Offensive lineman Erik McCoy was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the second round as the 16th pick and 42nd overall. McCoy was originally projected to be the Baltimore Raven’s 22nd pick in the first round.
McCoy was surrounded by family and friends in his hometown of Lufkin,TX when he heard his name called on Friday.
“You watch the film and it’s pretty impressive. He’s tough. He’s durable. [A] Well-liked captain,” Saints head coach Sean Payton said. “All those things. Those are all part of it. You put all of that together along with a good football player and we feel like we helped ourselves.”
Just one round later as the 11th pick, tight end Jace Sternberger was the Packers’ third round selection. The All-American played at A&M for one year before declaring for the draft this January.
“Jace really burst on to the scene this year. He put up a lot of early numbers, so our guys became aware of him early in the season. He had an outstanding year in a pro system. He was a matchup problem in college, and we think he can translate that into the NFL,” Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst said.
The NFL Draft will conclude on Saturday with rounds four through seven being announced.