Former Michigan Wolverines football center Cesar Ruiz has been consistently showing up as a first-round selection in NFL mock drafts as of late, with several of the biggest outlets in the industry now pegging him as a first-rounder.
ESPN's Mel Kiper spearheaded the Ruiz hype when he projected him to go No. 32 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs back in February, and reiterated that sentiment on a conference call this past Tuesday after he tabbed the center as the No. 25 overall prospect in the entire draft.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) joined the party this week as well, projecting Ruiz to come off the board one spot higher at No. 31 overall to the San Francisco 49ers.
"There’s no clean need/value fit here for San Francisco and, truthfully, it might make the most sense for them to trade down at this point and accumulate some capital — they have no picks on Day 2," the outlet wrote.
"If not, Ruiz looks like the best combination of athleticism and skill to slot into the interior of the 49ers’ offensive line."
PFF also placed Ruiz No. 41 overall on their big board, noting, "You won't find many juniors as technically sound as Ruiz. As he continues to develop physically, Ruiz could be special."
Bleacher Report's Jake Rill, meanwhile, shared Kiper's thoughts on the lineman, projecting the Camden, N.J., native to come off the board at No. 32 to the Chiefs in the mock draft he released on Thursday.
Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports had the highest projection of Ruiz of any network, though, mapping out a scenario yesterday in which he could see the center being chosen at No. 26 overall by the Miami Dolphins.
"Ruiz is the best center in this draft class (he also played some guard as a freshman), and he's also one of the top offensive linemen," Wilson explained.
"The Dolphins signed former Patriots interior lineman Ted Karras in free agency, but it's only a one-year deal and there's no depth behind him.
"Ruiz was the top pass-blocking center in the nation, according to Pro Football Focus, which matched what we saw on tape; he regularly won with athleticism and strength, coupled with good hand usage and even better footwork.
"Then in Rounds 2 and 3, Miami can target offensive tackle to continue to reshape an offensive line that was among the league's worst in 2019."
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