Cesar Ruiz first Wolverine off board in 2020 NFL Draft

The New Orleans Saints have taken the Wolverines center off the board.

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It turns out that Cesar Ruiz made the right choice to leave Michigan with another year of eligibility remaining.

The Wolverines starting center the past two seasons opted to leave Ann Arbor early, which was initially met with skepticism from many fans of the maize and blue. However, as the offseason wore on, the more it became apparent that Ruiz would be a day one selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Various mock drafts, especially after the March NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, started by having the Camden, New Jersey native who finished his high school career at Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy near the tail end of the first-round of the draft, but the closer the draft got, the higher Ruiz started to get in the predictions. In January, it seemed as if Ruiz could be a 3-4 rounder, but eventually became a first-round lock.

And those who saw him as such turned out to be prescient, as Ruiz was selected on Thursday as the No. 24 overall pick in the first-round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints.

Ruiz’s selection by New Orleans gives it a day one starter at center, as well as a highly intelligent player adept at understanding the defense laid out before him. After getting his first start against Minnesota in 2017 replacing injured starter Michael Onwenu at right guard, Ruiz made some early mistakes but settled in immensely, allowing next to nothing as far as pressures are concerned in his junior year, as well as no sacks allowed.

Per NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, this is how Ruiz’s prospects look at the next level:

Overview

Athletic and tenacious with the combination of skills and technique to fit into a variety of blocking schemes on the next level. Ruiz wins early with initial quickness and fast hands into first contact. He works to convert early advantages into wins. He’s consistent in securing down-blocks and has the athletic traits to become a second-level factor. He’ll give some ground to power rushers and needs help against wide-bodies, but the tape checks out. Ruiz has early starting potential and should develop into a good pro with guard/center flexibility.

Strengths

  • Excellent snap-to-step quickness
  • Waits for defender to declare before capturing and securing the block
  • Consistent to run feet through double-teams and down-blocks
  • Plays with bend and leverage
  • Fluid on the go and can lead the charge on wide pulls and screens
  • Tenacious demeanor from whistle to whistle
  • Early into pass sets with good hand placement
  • Compact, stiff pass punch with good arm extension
  • Clear eyes to identify pre- and post-snap danger
  • Consistent base width throughout pass sets
  • Has feet and lateral slide to mirror anyone in front of him

Weaknesses

  • Frame appears to lack desired width
  • Could benefit from better acceleration and thump into first blow
  • Needs to work at steering blocks into position
  • Positional blocker with average face-up power
  • Could struggle to set a shallow anchor against NFL bull-rushers

All-in-all, New Orleans has picked up the top center in the draft, and a versatile player who can play anywhere on the interior. At 6-foot-3, 307-pounds, Ruiz is poised to be a multi-year starter if his projections prove to be true.

He’s the first Wolverine off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft, but assuredly won’t be the last.