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The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft is in the books, and draft grades are flying in from all around the media landscape. And so far, the reaction to the New Orleans Saints picking Michigan center/guard Cesar Ruiz is overwhelmingly positive. We graded the pick well ourselves, but it’s nice to see such a validating response from draft experts.
We’ll start out with some thoughts from our colleagues. K.D. Drummond over at Touchdown Wire gave the Saints an A grade, adding that Ruiz brings a wealth of experience — he snapped the ball 919 times for the Wolverines last year. Our own Luke Easterling at Draft Wire rated the pick with a B+, writing:
As a prospect, there’s plenty to like about Ruiz. He’s athletic and physical, with the intelligence every NFL coach and quarterback needs at his position. He’s also just 20 years old, giving him limitless upside.
He has experience at guard, so he could start his career there in New Orleans. No matter where he lines up, he’s going to be a fantastic addition to this offense.
The Ringer’s Danny Kelly was another draft expert who liked the pick, praising the Saints for investing in better protection for Drew Brees, and grading the move with a B+. Kelly noted that it’s a little confusing to guess how things might shake out with Erik McCoy entrenched at center, but he expects Ruiz, the highest-graded interior lineman on his board to start right away.
Meanwhile, Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News was slightly more lukewarm, grading the move with a B. While he’s a fan of Ruiz’s talents, he doesn’t anticipate the rookie playing much until right guard Larry Warford is out of the picture (maybe not until 2021, when his contract runs out).
And the lowest grade, by far, came from Bleacher Report’s Mike Tanier. While he’s high on Ruiz’s prospects, Tanier isn’t sure that the rookie is ready to start right away, much less taking over from a quality center in Erik McCoy. He graded the match with a B-, which is still a great mark considering how poorly the Saints have drafted in other years.
While he was just as perplexed by the fit in context of who the Saints already have, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports spoke highly of Ruiz’s projection in the longer view. He graded the Ruiz pick with an A. The Saints were one of just six teams to earn an A-grade from him in the first round. His explanation:
I love this player. Would go to the Pro Bowl for seven or eight years as a center. But where is he going to play for the Saints? I thought he’d be a great center, but he’ll probably play right guard for them. Good player, but strange pick by the Saints.
If the lowest grade the Saints earned for picking Ruiz was a B-, then they’re off to a pretty good start in this year’s draft. It’ll be fascinating to see how things shake out along the offensive line with him in the fold, but we still have six more rounds of draft picks to get through. stay tuned.
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