Interior offensive linemen the Seahawks should target in the 2020 NFL Draft

Cesar Ruiz: Junior C, Michigan

Ruiz was labeled as the best pass blocking center in the country this year by PFF. This is no small feat, he only allowed 8 quarterback pressures on the year and had no sacks allowed. Ruiz had 447 snaps in pass protection, which means he allowed pressure on only 1.8% of snaps. This mark, if he were playing for the Seahawks now, would be second to Duane Brown on the Seahawks this year.

Ruiz had two of his biggest games of the year, against two of the best defenses, Ohio State and Alabama. He played with poise and confidence against some of the best competition in the country. He successfully shut down Chase Young on the few instances that Young tried to pull an inside move. He used his 6’4” 320lb frame to his advantage by gaining quick leverage on his opponents. His footwork is precise, and he does well when switching blocks. He is sound when working in space and can get to the second level in a hurry. Overall, he is just about as smooth on the interior offensive line as you can get.

His main draws come from him standing too tall at times. This allows the defender to get under his shoulder pads and take the driver seat. He also can be slow getting out of his stance which can cause issues against quicker interior defensive linemen.

To me, his game is similar to Rodney Hudson with the Raiders. Both players are well rounded and play with a great balance of quickness and power. Both play as true tone setters for the interior with fire to their game. Both players excel as pass blockers and were named amongst the best in college. Hudson was named to the 2nd All-Pro team this year. He also was named by PFF as the best pass blocking center in the NFL.

Player comparison: Rodney Hudson

Round projection: late 1st – early 2nd round