According to PFF rankings Ruiz was the 30th ranked guard in the league last season.

30. Cesar Ruiz, New Orleans Saints

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.

I have to agree with Bobby having high expectations. The organization tried to sell us on this pick by harping on his preparedness, experience, and maturity. The 25 year old rookie not being ready is disappointing based on the dream they've been trying to sell.

Right. Still sounds like a rookie to me.

New Head Coach, new system, only two weeks in & we hadn't even reached pre season game #1 yet. Very few will look like Stroud or JD5 out of the gate.

Bobby needs to chill.

I'll just say this. Shough wasn't accurate in college. He wasn't poised in the pocket. He wasn't the greatest at protecting the football or throwing receivers open. He has the size. He has the physical gifts. But he wasn't dissecting defenses and dominating his competition. All those defencies have come up so far. I think it's rationale for Bobby and others to not be as patient because a lot of people didn't agree with the pick to begin with. We can't write him off today, but I think there's a 30% chance he'll become a good NFL QB.

I heard on the first day of full contact pads that Ruiz destroyed Bresee. Owned him. It was either Triplett or Underhill on one of their camp videos. The problem with watching missed blocks on tape is that you don't know the individual responsibility. Someone on the line screwing up their assignment can make someone else look bad when all they are doing is being where they were supposed to be. That's why it is so important that they all stay healthy and fulfill their individual roles and act as a unit.

The Shough / entire QB situation is going to be an interesting one to play out.

Will the QB pick and the spot being up for grabs, give Rattler the determination he needs to be the starter?

Will Shough overtake Rattler and become the starter?

Can Shough overcome the flappy tendencies?

Will they both fail and we end up picking another QB anyway?

I have more faith in Rattler. He completed over 65% of his passes with both Oklahoma and South Carolina. He started in the Big 12 and the SEC. His final year at South Carolina he completed nearly 70% of his passes with a pedestrian offensive line in the hardest conference in college football. And even with all that he still might not be anything more than a sub-par to average NFL QB. I'm just saying if I was a betting man, I'd put my money on him.