The New Orleans Saints selected center Cesar Ruiz with the No. 24 of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.

The Saints took the offensive lineman out of Michigan who was starting to shoot up draft boards and mock drafts alike as the event crept closer. New Orleans could have targeted a cornerback but the top four had already been taken before the team had a chance to pick.

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Ruiz, a New Jersey native, played 10 games as a freshman and started 13 games as a sophomore. During his second season, he was named to the All-Big Ten Conference Third Team.

In his junior year, he was named to the All-Big Ten Conference Second Team and was on the Rimington Trophy watch list.

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After the solid junior season, he took his chances at the NFL Draft and won. He’s officially a first-round NFL pick.

The Saints’ offense was plagued with injuries throughout the 2020 season. Drew Brees missed an ample amount of time as did Alvin Kamara. If everyone is healthy then the Saints should be dangerous during the 2020 season.

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New Orleans still managed to finish 13-3 but were forced out of the playoffs in the first round.