A first-round Michigan product who has anchored the New Orleans interior offensive line for six seasons and counting.
Cesar Ruiz has been a fixture up front for New Orleans since he was drafted in the first round in 2020, sliding from college center to NFL guard and providing the kind of positional flexibility teams covet. He remains one of the most experienced linemen on the Saints' roster.
Path to the league
Ruiz played center at Michigan, appearing in 36 games with 31 starts, before the New Orleans Saints selected him 24th overall in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. New Orleans immediately converted him to guard at the professional level.
Career highlights
Ruiz has played in 89 career games with 83 starts for the Saints, showing the versatility to line up at right guard, center and even right tackle. While he hasn't fully matched first-round expectations, he has graded consistently well among the league's guards according to Pro Football Focus.
2025 season recap
Ruiz started all 14 games he appeared in during the 2025 season for New Orleans, continuing his run as a steady presence on the interior offensive line. His 2024 season had featured the highest PFF overall grade of his career before a knee injury cut it short.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Cesar Ruiz (American football)
- Pro Football Reference: Cesar Ruiz
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Guard
- Group
- offense
- College
- Michigan
- Hometown
- Camden, NJ, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
