We are now at 51 days until the start of the New Orleans Saints’ regular season, which makes today’s Saints Player of the Day: Cesar Ruiz. Will the former first-round pick ascend his way to the top in Year 5?
- Name (Age): Cesar Ruiz (25)
- Position: Offensive center/guard
- Height, weight: 6-foot-4, 316 pounds
- Relative Athletic Score: 9.02
- 2024 salary cap hit: $4,450,000
- College: Michigan
- Drafted: Round 1 in 2020 (New Orleans Saints)
- NFL experience: 5 years
Ruiz entered the league as one of the more polished prospects in his draft class. As a three-year starter for Michigan and a former number-one overall recruit at his position, Ruiz felt as close to a sure thing as you can get. When the Saints selected Ruiz in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, the idea for the team was to play Ruiz at the guard position next to Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy. Prior to this, Ruiz had no experience at this spot at any point in his football career which led to an adjustment period early on.
Ruiz’s first couple years in the league were quite short of promising. The young player often struggled adjusting to his new position on the offensive line which led to some inconsistent play on the interior. In Ruiz’s third season though, he seemed to have found his footing a little bit until suffering a foot injury late in the season.
These last couple years Ruiz has proven to be capable as a starting player in this league which is why the Saints decided to extend him at the start of last season. Ruiz and the team agreed to a 4-year, $44 million extension with $30 million in guarantees. Extending Ruiz definitely wasn’t a must move for the team given his play, but it does show the team’s belief in the player’s upward trend.
With the 2024 season on the horizon, it has been reported by multiple sources that Ruiz is in the best shape of his life after cutting some weight this offseason, and with the excitement around Klint Kubiak’s offense, it shouldn’t be a surprise to many if Ruiz has a career year in his fifth season.
