Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Draft Prospect Preview | OC Cesar Ruiz, Michigan
CESAR RUIZ
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 320 lbs
Grade: Junior
School: Michigan
Camden, New Jersey native and University of Michigan center Cesar Ruiz announced last month that he would leave school early to enter the 2020 NFL Draft in April.
After playing two years of high school football at Camden High, Ruiz transferred to one of the top private school football factories in the country at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
It was here that the 6-foot-4, 320-pound lineman became a 2017 Under Armor All-American, contributing to an offensive line that, in his senior season, produced 2,000 yards through the air and 1,879 yards on the ground in 11 games.
Recruited by several major college programs, Ruiz chose Michigan, and never looked back. In his first season with the Wolverines, Ruiz appeared in 10 games on offense and special teams, earning five starts at right guard en route to his first varsity letter.
In his sophomore season. Ruiz switched to center, where he started in all 13 games. He earned All-Big Ten selection (third team, coaches; honorable mention, media), and was named Offensive Lineman of the Week for his performance against Nebraska (Sept. 22),
By his junior season, Ruiz's reputation as a top-flight center was growing. He was hailed as the Best Pass-Blocking center in the country by Pro Football Focus' college section after allowing just eight pressures in 447 pass-blocking snaps while pitching a shutout in the final five games of that season.
In 2019, Ruiz earned second-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and third-team by the media. He was also on Pro Football Focuses’ All-Big Ten team.
Ruiz still needs some polish to clean up his game, but there is a lot to like starting with his versatility to fit almost any scheme. He offers ideal NFL-calibre strength in anchoring and forms a solid barrier that keeps defenders out of the backfield. He's also athletic enough in space where he has shown consistency in sealing off edges and making downfield blocks to help the ball carriers gain additional yardage.
Ruiz is also a very strong and powerful human being whose strength is distributed evenly and whose hand punch has shown up on tape as being forceful enough to jolt defenders and to move men off their marks. And if the Giants are looking to have some of their offensive linemen pull, Ruiz is athletic enough to offer that skill set.
Why He Fits
Ruiz's versatility--he can play guard or center--and his mobility are desirable traits for a Giants offensive line that desperately needs an infusion of talent across the board.
While the Giants might want to refrain from having quarterback play his second season behind a rookie center until Jones gets on better footing, certainly getting a guy on bard who can fill the position for years to come would be in the team's best interest.
Incumbent Jon Halapio is coming off a disappointing season capped by a torn Achilles, for which he's already hard surgery. That's two significant lower-body injuries Halapio has had in as many seasons to go along with whatever physical limitations he already had in his skillset offerings.
Halapio has value as a backup if he's cleared and ready to go by the start of training camp, but the team might want to rethink having him as their starter given the amount of interior pressure allowed.
