NFL Draft 2020: Did Saints reach for Cesar Ruiz or hit home run?

The Saints surprise many experts by drafting Cesar Ruiz in the first round. Here is why he makes a lot of sense for the Saints.

Considering the needs of the New Orleans Saints have coming into the draft, Cesar Ruiz was a bit of a surprise. They needed help on the back end of their defense and they have to find Drew Brees’ successor at quarterback.

The decision to bring in Ruiz is a simple one; the Saints are in win now mode. They have suffered disappointment the last couple of years in the playoffs and feel as if their team is ready to win now. Ruiz is a player that is versatile enough to play guard or center.

They drafted a center last season when they drafted Erik McCoy in the second round out of Texas A&M. As great as Brees is, he is not tall. He needs interior linemen that are capable of opening throwing lanes for Brees to keep him from getting passes batted down.

Ruiz is capable of playing guard in addition to being the best center in this draft. He is a rock in the middle of the offensive line, and can stalemate defensive linemen. He is naturally strong at the point of attack, though he doesn’t always move people off the ball.

Grade: B+

Like most interior linemen, Cesar Ruiz plays nasty on the inside. He punches early at defenders at attacks interior linemen with malice. He is a plug and play starter on day one at either guard or center to protect Brees. Even if the pick was a bit of a shocker.