The New Orleans Saints placed center/guard Cesar Ruiz (foot) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday. Ruiz will miss the final three regular season games. The Saints are still in contention to win the ugly NFC South division, but even if they did, Ruiz would also be ineligible to return for the first playoff game. Ruiz has played 100 percent of the offensive snaps this year, so it's a big loss for the Saints' offensive line moving forward. His injury will snap a streak of 31 straight starts, which is the longest active streak among Saints players. Ruiz was originally a first-round pick out of the University of Michigan in 2020, and he's been an extremely reliable offensive lineman for the Saints ever since.
New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton said that rookie offensive guard Cesar Ruiz will be back soon after getting shaken up in practice on Thursday with an undisclosed injury. Ruiz was the 24th overall pick in the first round this year and was considered one of the best interior offensive line prospects of 2020. The 21-year-old out of Michigan might serve as a center in the long run, but he's expected to be a starting guard in his rookie season. New Orleans has prioritized their offensive line to give veteran quarterback Drew Brees plenty of protection in what will likely be the final season of his illustrious career in the NFL.
Saints Take Cesar Ruiz At No. 24 Overall In First Round
The New Orleans Saints selected Michigan center Cesar Ruiz with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday. Ruiz had 31 career starts in college and lost his father in a tragic accident when he was eight years old. The Saints are getting versatility on the offensive line, as he has experience at guard before he became an anchor at center for the Wolverines. Ruiz can fill a hole at either guard or center for New Orleans, and he should help block for the run and pass protect for veteran quarterback Drew Brees. He was easily considered the top center prospect in this draft class, but it was unknown if he'd fall into the early second round. His selection is good news for Saints running back Alvin Kamara as well.
ESPN Dallas' Todd Archer is positive that the Dallas Cowboys won't select Michigan center Cesar Ruiz either at pick No. 17 or in a trade back on Thursday night in Round 1. Ruiz to Dallas has been a popular mock selection in the weeks leading up to this year's draft, but the Cowboys believe in Joe Looney, Connor McGovern and Connor Williams as replacements for previous center Travis Frederick, who retired this offseason because of a non-football issue. If Ruiz were to drop into the second round, perhaps the Cowboys would be interested, but it's looking like they'll use their first-round pick to focus on the defense instead of the offensive line.
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