They say hindsight vision is 20/20, and it’s tough looking back on what the New Orleans Saints did in the 2020 NFL draft. The Athletic’s Diante Lee completed a do-over of that year’s first round which has the Saints passing on their top choice in favor of another player at the same position.
Instead of drafting Michigan center Cesar Ruiz and asking him to convert to right guard, Lee suggests picking Louisiana offensive lineman Robert Hunt. Hunt mainly lined up at left guard and right tackle for the Ragin’ Cajuns, but he’s gone on to be a rock-solid starter at right guard for the Miami Dolphins. Lee’s take on what the Saints should have done at No. 24 overall:
“Ruiz looked viable in his rookie campaign, but it became clear over time that he’s not the answer and New Orleans needed to add more players along the interior.
Hunt can step in and do more as a run blocker and pass-protector, supporting the Saints’ goal of staying competitive as the franchise begins to venture into life after Drew Brees.”
Ruiz has actually played much better in his third season than the first two years of his Saints career, but there’s little doubt Hunt would have made a more immediately positive impact in New Orleans given his success in Miami (where he landed at No. 39, early in the second round). The Saints wanted to move on from Pro Bowl right guard Larry Warford that summer, and though Ruiz was a consensus better prospect at the time as a center he was a total projection at another spot. It’s taken time for him to adjust to the different assignments — time that may have been better spent on a player with more experience in the role.
Ah well. What’s done is done, and what matters more is what’s ahead of Ruiz and the Saints. He’s coming off his best year as a pro, though it ended with an unfortunate Lisfranc fracture in his foot. The good news is that he’s expecting to be cleared in time for training camp. The bad news is that the Saints must decide by May 1 whether to exercise the fifth-year option in Ruiz’s contract and guarantee him more than $14 million for 2024. If they believe he’ll continue to play at a high level after improving last season, it should be an easy decision. You just have to wonder how heavily his early-career struggles factor into that equation.