28th Overall (Ravens) – Cesar Ruiz , IOL, Michigan
Pick made by Andrew Wade – Contributor
Well, I wanted to take Kenneth Murray at this pick, but he was snatched up two picks before this, which gives me the opportunity to address the Ravens second biggest need, interior offensive line with Michigan center Cesar Ruiz. Ruiz, considered a fringe first-round prospect makes perfect sense to head to Baltimore to help protect the Raven’s prized quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
After having the best rushing attack in the league last year, the Ravens don’t want to miss a beat despite losing perennial Pro-Bowl guard Marshal Yanda to retirement.
While Ruiz played center at Michigan, switching to guard should not be a problem if needed. The question is where would he be needed at? Baltimore’s 2019 starting center, Matt Skura, is returning from a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL that ended his season early, and replacing Yanda as of now is last year’s fourth-round pick Ben Powers, a guard from Oklahoma who was projected to be a below average back-up.
Ruiz gives the Ravens some flexibility in the short term while also giving them the best interior offensive lineman who could be a mainstay for the next decade in the long term.
The other option considered at this point was Iowa’s AJ Epenesa who would be a fantastic fit as a 3-4 defensive end in Baltimore’s scheme, however, with Derek Wolfe and Calais Campbell currently occupying the 3-4 end spots, I went with the player who provides a more instant impact.