Cesar Ruiz
New Orleans SaintsModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 14 games
Draft & College
He went earlier than consensus.
Comps
STM Take
Tier 2 (#13) peak in 2024 to tier 7 (#49) in 2025 is a 36-spot regression in one year that flags injury, scheme shift, or structural collapse needing root-cause analysis. The Michigan technical foundation plus the 24th overall draft slot plus the 2024 peak proves a top-15 ceiling exists. The 2026 question is whether Ruiz returns to tier 3-4 territory or whether the 2025 tier 7 finish is the new baseline that creates contract-value risk for the Saints.
Ruiz came out of Michigan as the New Orleans Saints' 1st-round pick (24th overall) in 2020 as a projected center who the Saints moved to right guard alongside Erik McCoy at center. He signed a four-year, $44M extension with the Saints in 2023. His STTM career runs tier 8 (#66) rookie, tier 3 (#23) in 2022 breakout, tier 5 (#38) in 2023, tier 2 (#13) peak in 2024, then tier 7 (#49) collapse in 2025.
Strengths
- 2024 tier 2 (#13) peak as a 24th overall pick confirms a top-15 guard ceiling exists when the surrounding line is healthy.
- Michigan technical foundation plus six years of NFL starter reps at guard give him the developmental profile to recapture the elite ceiling.
Concerns
- 36-spot regression from tier 2 (#13) in 2024 to tier 7 (#49) in 2025 flags injury, scheme shift, or one-year context spike needing explanation.
- $44M extension implies a tier 2-3 ceiling that the 2025 collapse puts at risk, creating contract-value pressure for New Orleans.
What to watch: Whether Ruiz returns to tier 4 or better in 2026 with the Saints' McCoy-Fortner interior healthy, or whether the 2025 tier 7 finish becomes the new baseline.