The Saints were without a first round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. That didn't stop them from landing one of its best players in Erik McCoy.

In trading up to snag the big man from Texas A&M at No. 48 overall, New Orleans not only acquired its immediate successor to the retired Max Unger, but a player who's outperformed all but four of the 47 players chosen ahead of him, according to midseason rookie rankings from Yahoo! Sports.

"The Saints landed a first-round talent in McCoy to ease the retirement of Max Unger," says the breakdown. "McCoy is becoming one of the NFL's best young centers."

Coming in on the list at No. 6, here are the players who slotted ahead of McCoy:

EDGE Nick Bosa (Ohio State), San Francisco 49ers, No. 2 overall
DT Dexter Lawrence (Clemson), New York Giants, No. 17 overall
WR Terry McLaurin (Ohio State), Washington Redskins, No. 76 overall
QB Kyler Murray (Oklahoma), Arizona Cardinals, No. 1 overall
EDGE Brian Burns (Florida State), Carolina Panthers, No. 16 overall