The 2023 NFL offseason is in full swing, and with that, training camps edge ever closer to starting. We have seen a new wave of players enter the team both via the draft and free agency, but there is also a large group of returning players from last season as well. This has led to some debates to be had regarding which players will have the largest impact on the roster for the 2023 season.
Each day we will be counting down the 25 most important Saints for the 2023 season. This will be split up into the following categories:
- Recap of their 2022 season
- Projecting their 2023 success
- What is the biggest question mark for them in 2023?
The 19th-ranked player by the Saints Wire staff is right guard Cesar Ruiz:
Background
A native of Camden, New Jersey, the Saints offensive lineman played out his college football career at Michigan between the years of 2017 and 2019.
As a junior, he was named to the watchlist for the Rimington Trophy, starting every one of Michigan’s 13 games that season at center. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed just eight quarterback pressures on a total of 447 snaps and he was named the best pass-blocking center by the network as well.
In his time at Michigan, he played in 36 games with 31 starts, forgoing his junior season and ultimately getting drafted by the Saints in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft at No. 24 overall.
2022 Recap
Ruiz is a versatile offensive lineman with the ability to play at multiple positions within the interior of the line, something that’s been on display for the entirety of his career, the 2022 season included.
Since he was drafted in 2020, Ruiz’s 46 consecutive games started from 2020 through Week 15 of the 2022 season was the team’s longest streak at the time.
In 2022, the right guard started in and played in 14 games for the club. He missed the final three games of the season with a Lisfranc injury and had surgery and follow-up procedure ahead of this year’s upcoming training camp.
2023 Outlook
The Saints declined Ruiz’s fifth-year option this offseason, giving some support to the notion that Mickey Loomis and company don’t exactly see Ruiz living up to the incredibly high ceiling he showed in college with the Wolverines.
How well he bounces back from injury and if he can finally reach the level of status he had as a player who was so good in helping the pass game hit high notes in Michigan will be something to watch.
Biggest question: what does the long-term future look like for Ruiz?
Despite some of the negatives and injury question marks that have surrounded Ruiz is of late, it’s important to note that Loomis did refer to Ruiz as an “ascending” player.
This could obviously mean anything and may or may not carry a ton of weight when all is said and done this season, but if Ruiz stays healthy and can show some upward momentum, a contract extension is still entirely in the picture despite the fact the Saints declined his fifth-year option.
The Saints signed former Bengals center Billy Price this offseason, who could take Ruiz’s role if he becomes injured but could play a role in keeping Ruiz solely at guard.
