Tag: Cesar Ruiz

Who Cesar Ruiz thinks will surprise for Michigan in 2020

The former Michigan center names two up and comers he thinks will have a big season in Ann Arbor in 2020.

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While coaches hype up players all the time, especially in the offseason, there’s no more accurate predictor of future success than that from players’ peers.

It’s rare when a current or former player raves about the ability of one of their teammates and we don’t see tangible proof before our very eyes not too long after.

Now that Cesar Ruiz is preparing himself for the NFL after leaving a year early, he’s getting ready to partake in the drills component of the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. But, during is interview time with the media, he’s taking a look back on his now-former teammates, and says that one defensive player in particular is going to be a standout in his senior season for the Wolverines.

“There’s a lot of players,” Ruiz said. “Brad Hawkins on the defensive side of the ball. He had an ankle thing that kept him out a little bit. But if you watch what he’s able to do on the field, if you watch what he’s able to do in practice, he’s special. I think Brad Hawkins is going to have a great season and no one’s really talking about it. Which I’m surprised. But I believe something special is coming for Brad.”

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Ruiz didn’t single out anyone offensively, exactly, but also has his eyes on the offensive line, which, obviously, considering that’s where he played.

Michigan loses four starters — three to graduation and Ruiz to the draft — this upcoming year, and while Ruiz isn’t giving up names of players who aren’t weathered and experienced, he does have a lot of faith in the lone returning starter in Jalen Mayfield.

Still, he’s excited to see who ends up lining up alongside the redshirt sophomore right tackle.

“Right now, the leader of the group is going to have to be Jalen Mayfield at right tackle,” Ruiz said. “He’s the only experienced one left. There’s a lot of young guys. Four young guys are going to be in there battling for a starting position. There’s going to be a lot of new faces that Michigan fans aren’t used to seeing. It’s going to be fun to see who fills in those spots. But Jalen Mayfield knows it’s time for him to step up.”

2020 NFL Draft: Giants meeting with top centers

The New York Giants are meeting with various offensive linemen at the 2020 NFL Combine, but their interest in centers stands out.

The New York Giants are seeking to upgrade their offensive line at both tackle positions and at center this offseason. With Nate Solder getting up and years and coming off another inconsistent season and Mike Remmers a free agent, offensive tackle is likely high on general manger Dave Gettleman’s shopping list.

They are also seeking a long-term answer at center. They reportedly met with San Diego State’s Keith Ishmael and now it’s being reported they have interest in Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz.

Ruiz (6-foot-4, 320 pounds) hails from Camden and is a two-time All-Big 10 selection. He has been climbing up mock draft boards and may not get out of the first round. In fact, ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Ruiz going to Kansas City at No. 32.

Ruiz started at right guard the final games of his freshman year before moving to center his last two seasons. Kiper, in his latest Big Board projection, has Ruiz going to Kansas City late in the first round. He has the 6-foot-4, 319-pound Ruiz rated higher than Garrett Bradbury, the top-rated center in 2019.

That means the Giants would have to either trade up from the second round or trade back in the first round to get Ruiz. Good luck having the latter happen.

The Giants under head coach Pat Shurmur were high on both centers on their roster — Jon Halapio and Spencer Pulley. Halapio is currently a restricted free agent and Pulley is a candidate to be released as a salary cap casualty.

The Giants’ new coaching staff is obviously making some recommendations to Gettleman and that will refocus the team’s commitment to some of these marginal players the prior regime had been overrating.

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Why Cesar Ruiz left early, thinks he’s a first-round NFL Draft pick

Why the junior Wolverine left early for the NFL and why he agrees that he’s a first-round pick in April’s draft.

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If there’s one former Michigan player that’s trending significantly upward in advance of the NFL Scouting Combine this week, it’s former center Cesar Ruiz.

Some scoffed at the junior for leaving school early, but some early projections put the New Jersey native in the first-round.

Ruiz didn’t announce his departure from Michigan until Jan. 3, two days after the bowl game, but there were indications that he was leaning towards leaving the program with a year of eligibility left on the table. So, why didn’t he tell reporters that week if he knew he was likely about to play in his last game?

He explained to the media in Indianapolis, as well as why he decided it was time to move on from Ann Arbor.

“Really, I didn’t want that to be a distraction on what we had going on,” Ruiz said. “I didn’t want that to be a distraction to what the team had going on, what we were focusing on. My main thing was was I going to be focused that week if I was going to be asked questions about that and my main decision came down to did I believe in myself and I think I was ready.”

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While some draft prognosticators indicate that Ruiz could be a mid-to-late first round NFL Draft pick, it’s certainly not a consensus at the moment. That’s why he can help himself greatly this week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Ruiz fully intends to participate in all drills, but even without the numbers just yet, he thinks he’s definitely among the best 32 players in the upcoming NFL Draft in April.

“Yes, I do,” Ruiz said. “Because if you look at the film, if you look at how I dominate people, if you look at my character, how smart I am, I have everything for a first-rounder. I’m very confident in myself that I am a first-rounder.”

Regardless, the true center doesn’t feel that just because he’s projected to be a first-round NFL Draft pick and that because he has that potential that he’s earned that right just yet.

He knows that all the hard work lies ahead of him — at the combine, at Michigan’s Pro Day, and at any team workouts he might have before draft day comes.

“That’s always great, but projections are always just projections,” Ruiz said. “I’ve got to make it happen. It’s good to see it, of course it gives me a good idea of where I stand. But I try to stay out of that stuff and just focus on the task at hand.”

Special thanks to Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors for providing us with Ruiz quotes from the NFL Scouting Combine.

NFL Draft expert breaks down Michigan’s top players

What the NFL.com expert has to say about four former Wolverines and where we think he’s right and wrong.

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Despite the 9-4 record in 2019, Michigan could send up to 12 players to the NFL Draft in April, a staggering number, considering that the team that was on the cusp of the College Football Playoff in 2016 set a school record with 11 draftees.

Granted, many of the seven-round mocks that have circulated recently have seen eight Wolverines selected, but in advance of the NFL Scouting Combine — which starts later this month — some former players are starting to rise up the draft boards.

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One of the latest NFL.com mock drafts, by Chad Reuter, has center Cesar Ruiz, who declared early, going in the mid-first-round, which would make him the highest-rated of the 2020 draft class if that’s to come to fruition. But the focus beforehand has been on players like Josh Uche — who still seems to have a third-round grade, and Ben Bredeson, who’s been rising as a potential second or third-round pick.

Daniel Jeremiah is the preeminent voice of NFL.com when it comes to all things NFL Draft — though Reuter, Bucky Brooks and Lance Zierlein also are notable in that regard. To date, he’s only released one mock draft, back in January, which is solely based in the first-round, where he had no Wolverines selected.

However, Jeremiah held a conference call on Friday, and discussed the top Michigan players at length, what he sees in them, and where they fall in his eyes with the combine and draft fast approaching.

Daniel Jeremiah’s breakdowns and our thoughts

Josh Uche

Josh Uche

Starting with Josh Uche — a player that Reese’s Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy expects to get some first-round looks after his weeklong performance in Mobile — Jeremiah sees a player who’s versatile, aggressive and has extreme talent.

However, in some ways, his versatility has left some confused as to what he does best.

The way Jeremiah sees it, despite Nagy’s evaluation, Uche is still destined as a day two pick, given the uncertainty of his position at the next level.

“When you watch Uche, first of all he just plays really hard,” Jeremiah said. “That’s the first thing that jumps out to you when you study him. He’s eight and a half sacks, stands up, plays on and off the ball. Just really the motor is what jumps out to you. You can use him as a looper. He’s a finisher now.

“At 6-0-1-3, 241, you’re, like, what do I do with this guy? Where do you play him? Can he play on the edge? I thought at the Senior Bowl, especially in the game, he was dominant in rushing. I know when you get in sub packages he can rush off the edge. And I think he’s athletic enough that you could play off the ball on those early downs. So, I gave him a grade which kind of puts him in the third-round range. I think he’s just a really good football player and I like kind of the edge that he plays with.”

Verdict: His expertise aside, we anticipate that, given that Uche can be both a dominant pass rusher as well as use his speed in coverage, that his showing at the NFL Scouting Combine will cause many teams to consider selecting Uche much higher than currently anticipated.

Uche’s ceiling is in the first-round, but he’s more likely a second-round pick — his numbers at the combine being the biggest caveat.

NEXT: Jeremiah’s breakdown of Cesar Ruiz

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One Wolverine makes a big move up in latest NFL.com mock draft

One Wolverine moves into the heart of the first-round in the latest NFL.com mock draft.

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For awhile, it seemed like Michigan wasn’t going to have a high-level NFL draft pick this upcoming April, after putting players in the high rounds for most of the past few seasons.

Then, with a strong outing by Josh Uche in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, it looked like that would change. And now we’re seeing one former Wolverine looking more likely as a first-round pick. But despite Uche’s post all-star showcase hype, he’s not the one starting to get first-round projections.

In the latest NFL.com three-round mock draft by Chad Reuter, Uche is still listed as a third-round pick — though we anticipate that to change after his turn in the NFL Scouting Combine later this month. Instead, it’s junior center Cesar Ruiz who’s flying up draft boards as of late, with Reuter including him in the highest pick we’ve seen yet, at No. 22 overall to the Buffalo Bills.

The Bills’ guard play was less than stellar in 2019. Ruiz started at guard early in his career at Michigan, but moved to center with Ben Bredeson and Michael Onwenu manning either side of him.

The highest we’d seen Ruiz go was 31st overall, but he’s clearly moving up in the eyes of many prognosticators.

Reuter also has two Wolverines going in the third-round, with guard Ben Bredeson being selected at No. 74 by the Cleveland Browns and Uche going at No. 83 to the New York Jets.

Detroit Lions All-University of Michigan mock draft

With mock drafts coming in left and right, ever curious to see what if the Detroit Lions drafted from just the University of Michigan? It may not be as crazy as you might think.

Mock drafts are everywhere right now and the majority of them have the Detroit Lions taking either Jeffery Okudah, Chase Young, Derrick Brown, or Isaiah Simmons with their first pick.

After a while, the mundanity can set in seeing the same few players getting slated to the Lions, so we at Lions Wire decided to add a twist to traditional mock drafts by introducing a series of mock drafts that select prospects exclusively from one school.

To kick off the series, we are staying in-state and beginning with the University of Michigan.

Round 1

Pre-combine there may be only one Wolverine that might receive first-round consideration, interior offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz.

Ruiz has been gaining steam as of late to a point being regarded as the top interior lineman in the draft. He a versatile chess piece having played both center and guard while at Michigan and can fit into any scheme. With his strong mobility in space and heavy anchor, he was the highest-graded pass blocking center in 2019 through PFF. With it looking more likely Graham Glasgow leaves in free agency, the Lions could look to dip their toes in another versatile Michigan lineman to help the offensive line.

The Lions are too far up in the draft to take Ruiz, but if the Lions make a trade and acquire the 26th pick from the Dolphins, the Lions could theoretically take Ruiz to shore up the gaps that plaque the offensive line at the bottom of the first round. If Ruiz has a strong showing at the combine, he could boost his draft stock and go from a fringe first-round prospect to a sure one.

The Lions have a need at Ruiz’s position and he could anchor the vacant guard spot for years to come.

Round 2

I feel like there are two Michigan products the Lions could tag as their second-round pick, JACK linebacker Joshua Uche or receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. Uche enjoyed a major rise to his draft stock after a dominant showing at the Senior bowl and Lions fans instantly fell in love with the local product.

He was able to show he can handle not only edge rushing, but play sticky coverage on tight ends and running backs. With his versatility as a JACK/SAM linebacker, he screams fit for the Lions.

People-Jones production in Michigan was something left to be desired considering how much of big-bodied receiver he was but with the low level of targets, it’s hard to lay the blame solely on him. With his size, speed, and ball skills, he could easily be a productive receiver at the next level. Even though his route running could improve, he has the look of receiver coaches who would love to get their hands on.

Even though the Lions have another high second-round pick, one could make an argument for either player to be the Lions’ selection. Uche will help shore up a disappointing pass rush and People-Jones could become a versatile piece in the receiving corps. It would be tempting to give Matthew Stafford another weapon, but the Lions need to look at improving their defense and Uche will help in not only edge pressure, but strong coverage abilities where the Lions lack in their linebackers.

Round 3

The Wolverines had one of the more impressive offensive interior lines this past season and the Lions could look to double-dip into that talent by selecting guard Ben Bredeson in the third round after selecting Ruiz in the first round.

Bredeson might not be as athletic as his counterpart, Ruiz, but he makes up for it with strength and power. He will plant you in the ground and have a smile on his face doing it because he loves setting the tone early. With his strong physicality, he is a great fit in a man heavy scheme perfect for what the Lions what to do in the trenches.

Even though the Lions tagged Ruiz as their first-round pick, the guard spot is in a flux and could use more bodies and they could do worse than Bredeson manning one of those spots or provide a quality backup.

 Round 4/5

The Lions’ secondary could use some help and thankfully for them the Wolverines offer a couple of intriguing options Day 3 of the draft, cornerback Lavert Hill and linebacker/safety Khaleke Hudson.

Hill’s skill set allows him to play outside, but because of his size, he is more favored to play in the slot. Having only one season of starter experience his production is minimal, but between his sticky man coverage, strength, and ball skills, he could be a diamond in the rough in the later round. The Lions could use him a potential prodigy to Coleman and provide depth on the outside in case of injuries.

Hudson is going to be one of the player’s teams might not know how to use him having played the VIPER position during his Michigan tenure. Essentially think of Hudson as a poor man’s Isiah Simmions, a free-roaming defensive chess piece, having logged snaps at off-ball linebacker, edge defender, slot corner, box safety, and deep safety. If a smart team can get ahold of him and figure out the best way to use the versatile defender they could have a player who can match up well against offenses. Since the Lions love versatile players, Hudson could match up well, starting on special teams, but could work his way to defensive snaps.

With their second fifth-round pick, the Lions might have to reach a little bit to grab a Michigan player, but tight end Sean McKeon could match up well in the Lions offense. McKeon is of those versatile tight ends who could be a three-down player with strong skills at catching and blocking. He is a technical, smart player who understands how to use leverage to his advantage and either seal off defenders or find the open spot for the catch.

The Lions likely aren’t looking for a top tight end after taking T.J Hockenson in the first round last year and signing Jesse James to a big contract, but McKeon could be one of those players who can sneak in and provide quality play as a TE3 for the Lions.

Round 6

Late in this draft, you aren’t looking for someone to contribute immediately, but the Lions could select this once highly regarded prospect who they got a first-hand look at the Senior Bowl, quarterback Shea Patterson.

Even though Patterson showed good mobility and arm strength, accuracy has plagued him constantly. He has the ability to extend plays but might tend to panic quickly and take off if his first read isn’t available or take the check down option. Patterson does have the tangibles to slide into a backup role and maybe, with some good coaching, groom into something bigger. Since the Lions were able to coach Patterson at the Senior Bowl, they know what they are getting with him and possibly vision a role for him.

Summary

Here is how the Lions draft could shape up with all Michigan players:

Late 1st- Cesar Ruiz, C
2nd- Joshua Uche, JACK
3rd- Ben Bredeson, G
4th- Lavert Hall, CB
5th- Khaleke Hudson, LB/S
5th- Sean McKeon, TE
6th- Shea Patterson, QB

Now some of the players may be reaches at this time, but with the Combine still to go, it is hard to tell how the draft will play out. Uche, Bredeson, Hudson, McKeon, and previously mentioned Patterson all participated at the Senior Bowl, so the Lions got a personal look at the majority of these players and General Manager Bob Quinn love drafting from the Senior bowl.

The University of Michigan will be well represented with the second most participating players giving the Lions another opportunity to get a first-hand look at the players. So it’s not out of the realm of possibilities to see some of these players finding their way on the Lions roster come draft day.

PFF NFL mock draft 2.0 sees one Wolverine taken in 2 rounds

Where the scouting site sees the standout Wolverines center going at the NFL Draft in April.

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Could a Michigan player be making his way to broadway? One NFL mock draft sure thinks so.

The Wolverines don’t have many players projected to go in the top end of the NFL Draft this April, at least not according to mock drafts in the pre-combine period. Once the NFL Scouting Combine starts later this month, that could certainly change, but different prognosticators are all across the board as to what Michigan player will go first, and when. Though Josh Uche has drawn a lot of praise after standing out at the Reese’s Senior Bowl last month, another is starting to get more and more consistent praise.

We’ve now seen some mock drafts with departing junior center Cesar Ruiz going as high as the late first-round. While scouting site Pro Football Focus hasn’t been quite as high on him, they’ve been high on him in general, as one of the site’s top 50 draft eligible players. That’s continued into PFF’s second NFL mock draft, with Ruiz going to the NY Jets in the second-round.

48. NEW YORK JETS – C CESAR RUIZ, MICHIGAN

Ruiz has been Michigan’s starting center ever since he was a true sophomore in 2018. He’s been one of the best pass-protecting centers in the country over that span with only 19 pressures allowed on 895 pass-blocking snaps.

Should Ruiz’s seeming emergence into a late-first/second-round pick hold, then he’ll assuredly have made the right decision leaving Michigan a year early.

Michigan second-most with 11 NFL Scouting Combine invites

The Wolverines have the second-most players invited to Indianapolis of any school in college football.

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NFL mock drafts have been all across the board as it pertains to Michigan. But it’s undeniable that the Wolverines has talent in 2019.

The maize and blue lost two draft-eligible juniors who declared, but also have nine seniors that very well could find their name picked come April in the NFL Draft.

But the road to Las Vegas starts later this month in Indianapolis with the annual NFL Scouting Combine, and the Wolverines boast the second-most invitees, tied with Ohio State with 11, but behind LSU who has 16.

That said, there’s a strong case to be made that all 11 could be drafted.

While most mocks to this point don’t include any now-former Michigan players in the first-round, we’ve seen some with center Cesar Ruiz near the tail end, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Josh Uche makes a push.

Here’s all 11 invitees:

  • Ben Bredeson, OL
  • Lavert Hill, DB
  • Khaleke Hudson, LB
  • Sean McKeon, TE
  • Josh Metellus, DB
  • Michael Onwenu, OL
  • Shea Patterson, QB
  • Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR
  • Cesar Ruiz, OL
  • Jon Runyan Jr., OL
  • Josh Uche, LB

7-round NFL mock draft sees 8 Wolverines picked

The site predicts all seven rounds of the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft and has 8 Wolverines going to the league formally.

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It seemed obvious coming out of the 2016 season that Michigan was going to have a bevy of NFL Draft picks. 11 selections later, the Wolverines led all teams with players coming out of Ann Arbor headed to the pro ranks.

It’s been slim pickings since then, with just a handful of former Michigan players going each year, but the 2020 NFL Draft looks like it could certainly have a maize and blue flair.

At least according to Bleacher Report.

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NFL Draft prognosticator Matt Miller put together his post-Super Bowl seven-round mock draft this week, and an astonishing eight Wolverines made the class of 256 players selected overall, including one surprise going in the first-round.

Miller explained why he has former Michigan center Cesar Ruiz, who left a year of eligibility on the table, picked 31st overall by the NFL runner-up San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers clearly have a defense talented enough to win the big games and have promising young players on offense, led by Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. Up next to improve is the interior offensive line.

Cesar Ruiz is the draft’s best center and has shown the ability to handle power and speed on the inside. He’s smart, athletic and versatile enough to handle the 49ers’ zone-blocking scheme at any inside spot.

Here’s all of the Michigan picks as predicted by Miller:

  • 31, (1): OC Cesar Ruiz, San Francisco 49ers
  • 44, (2): WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Indianapolis Colts
  • 70, (3): EDGE Josh Uche, Miami Dolphins
  • 100, (3): OL Ben Bredeson, Seattle Seahawks
  • 171, (5): LB Khaleke Hudson, Baltimore Ravens
  • 207. (6): TE Sean McKeon, Jacksonville Jaguars
  • 216, (7): S Josh Metellus, Cincinnati Bengals
  • 228, (7): CB Lavert Hill, Indianapolis Colts

There are two notable omissions here, of course. Miller has QB Shea Patterson and OL Michael Onwenu both as undrafted in his seven-round mock — though it’s likely that one or both could be late-round picks by an NFL franchise.

Of course, we’ll have a better idea later this month when the NFL Scouting Combine kicks off, putting much more of the upcoming draft in perspective.

PFF: One Wolverine makes top 10 interior OL on NFL Draft board

The junior makes the scouting website’s list for best interior offensive linemen available for the NFL Draft.

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Michigan is losing the bulk of its offensive line, in more ways than one.

With three seniors and one early-entrant, four of the five offensive linemen from 2019 are gone, with eyes on the NFL. Some have better chances than others to be selected in the April NFL Draft in Las Vegas, and with excellent showings in the post-season all-star bowl games, both left guard Ben Bredeson and right guard Michael Onwenu both put in bids to be among the selectees called to the stage in two months.

But neither are the ones scouting website Pro Football Focus forecasts among their top ten offensive linemen entering the draft.

That distinction goes to junior center Cesar Ruiz, a two-year starter at the position who decided shortly after the VRBO Citrus Bowl that he would forgo his final year in maize and blue. When it comes to interior linemen, Ruiz is the only junior included in PFF’s list.

9. CESAR RUIZ, MICHIGAN

Draft Board Rank: 94th

The lone true junior on this list, Ruiz declared early because he’s already shown all the physical tools needed to succeed at center in the NFL. He’s so graceful for a 6-foot-4, 320-pound center that you often forget just how big he really is when watching his tape. He’s still not quite a power player, though, as indicated by his 64.9 run-blocking grade from last year, but at only 20 years of age, he could still develop a good deal physically.

While we’re not doubting that Ruiz could go as high as the second or third-round, it seems unlikely that both Bredeson and Onwenu didn’t help their cases for high draft inclusion with their showings this past month. Also, PFF’s lack of placing either is surprising, given the praise they’ve shown both throughout the year, given that both were exceptional in pass blocking in 2019.