There has been a lot of speculation that the Panthers are looking to trade down from No. 7. Numerous recent 2020 mock drafts, including our own, have the Panthers trading down to the mid-first round.
But what if instead they trade down to the late-first round with a team like the Patriots, Eagles, or Vikings? If this situation pans out, the good news is that there is still plenty of top-tier talent available at positions of need. Let’s take a look at one of those players who could be atop the Panthers’ board in this situation: Michigan interior offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz.
Scouting Report:
Ruiz meets all the physical requirements for succeeding in the NFL. He measured in at 6-foot-3, 307 pounds at the combine. He also displayed some impressive athleticism for a big man, as he clocked a 5.08 second 40-yard dash, put up 28 reps on the bench and jumped 33 inches in the vertical.
Ruiz is widely considered the top interior offensive lineman in the class. He has tremendous lateral mobility on his pull blocks, plays with great power at the point of attack, reacts well to different blitzes and shows top-tier footwork and hand usage in his pass sets. He was anchored at center for most of his time at Michigan, but had quality reps at guard as well. While playing center, he took control of the offensive line and did a fantastic job at dissecting blitzes and calling out pickups.
Ruiz’s game does not have many weak areas. He does lack the ideal length you would want to see from a pro guard, as his arms measured in at only 33 1/8 inches at the combine. He also could stand to play with more of a mean streak when finishing his blocks. Ruiz definitely shows the power and pad level to do so, but he just doesn’t finish his blocks with the authority that most NFL coaches would like to see.
Highlights:
Ruiz vs. Penn State
Ruiz vs. Iowa
Ruiz vs. Florida
Ruiz vs. Ohio State
Fit With the Panthers:
Ruiz would undoubtedly be a Week 1 starter for Carolina at either guard spot. He would be a perfect fit for Joe Brady’s offensive line, as he offers positional versatility and a strong grasp of blocking schemes. Ruiz’s stock is in the late-first to early second round range, so the Panthers may have to trade down quite a bit to get into his range.
[lawrence-related id=621184]
[vertical-gallery id=621170]