The New Orleans Saints had a surprise addition to this offseason’s position rankings by Pro Football Focus. Cesar Ruiz cracked the PFF list at their offensive guard rankings. Previously, PFF has ranked their site’s top-32 players at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive tackle, defensive interior, edge rusher, linebacker, cornerback, and safety. The Saints have placed a few players in the PFF rankings:

Kamara and Davis received ridiculously low ratings, while OT Taliese Fuaga and DT Bryan Bresee were overlooked altogether at their respective positions. A pleasant surprise was that both Hill and Johnson cracked the PFF tight end rankings. On Wednesday, PFF writer Mason Cameron revealed their site’s choices for the top 32 guards coming into the 2025 NFL season. In perhaps a bigger surprise than the tight ends, Cesar Ruiz came in at No. 30 on the PFF list:

”A knee injury knocked Ruiz out for a good chunk of the front half of the 2024 season, but he still managed to finish with the highest PFF overall grade of his career. His 72.4 PFF pass-blocking grade from Week 8 through the end of the regular season finished inside the top 20 at the position after he allowed just one sack and a 2.2% pressure rate.

Given his ample experience (4,706 snaps) at 26 years old, the hope is that Ruiz can continue that progression in 2025.”

Advertisement

Ruiz, who turns 26 later this month, was a first round choice out of Michigan by the Saints in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was the first interior offensive lineman off the board that year. A center throughout his two-time All-Big 10 career with the Wolverines, Ruiz was converted to guard upon his arrival in New Orleans. He played in 15 contests as a rookie, starting nine and appearing in 74% of the offensive snaps.

Since his second NFL season in 2021, Ruiz has been a consistent starter for New Orleans at right guard. He played every offensive snap for the Saints in 2021 and 2022, missing one game in 2023 and three due to injury during the 2024 season.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: PFF: Saints guard Cesar Ruiz ranked among the NFL’s best