Green Bay Packers Make a Surprise Selection in Recent Mock Draft

A recent mock draft has the Green Bay Packers making a surprise selection at 30th overall.

At this stage of the game we have seen hundreds upon hundreds of mock drafts released and while there has been some variety, the two most common selections for the Green Bay Packers in Round 1 have been the receiver and linebacker positions. Which is certainly understandable.

On top of that, we’ve also seen tackle, interior defensive lineman, and even tight end as first-round projections for Green Bay.

However, a recent mock draft from Matt Miller of Bleacher Report has the Packers going in a different direction early on. And it’s a pick that would be quite a surprise, it would likely frustrate many fans, but it’s a pick that also makes some sense if we dive a little deeper.

With the 30th pick, Miller has the Green Bay Packers selecting interior offensive lineman, Cesar Ruiz of Michigan, and here was his reasoning:

"“A lot of mocks have GB go LB or WR here, but the IOL class is very weak and they have a sneaky need on the inside. Ruiz can be a plug-and-play, high caliber guard or center in 2020.”"

Now, your first thought might be, what the heck do the Packers need a guard or center for?

And when it comes to the 2020 season, they likely don’t. Instead this would be a move for the 2021 season when the interior of the offensive line could be in flux a bit.

For one, Corey Linsley is a free agent after this season and joining him is David Bakhtiari, Kenny Clark, Aaron Jones, and Kevin King. So while it certainly makes sense to bring Linsely back, there’s also no guarantee that they do.

Another factor in all of this is the play of Billy Turner. While Turner was an upgrade over Byron Bell, overall he was below average in 2019 and most will agree he didn’t live up to his four year – $28 million deal. However, if he continues to struggle, his cap hit in 2021 is more than his dead cap hit. Meaning, the Packers will save cap space if they move on from him.

Obviously we hope that Linsley is back and Turner plays as he did in 2018 with Denver, but there is certainly the possibility that one of those things does not happen. Which means having Ruiz available to fill in at either position would certainly be a luxury for Green Bay.

Ruiz is easily the best interior offensive lineman in this draft and perhaps one of the better overall IOL prospects in recent years.

At Michigan Ruiz started 31 games, 26 of which came at center with the other five at guard. Ruiz stands at 6’3″ – 307 pounds and moves very well, which makes him an ideal fit for Matt LaFleur’s outside-zone running scheme. And to put it simply, at Michigan he was incredibly dominant.

According to Pro Football Focus, since 2018 Ruiz has had 895 pass-blocking snaps and he has allowed only 19 total pressures during that span.

He’s about as sure of a prospect as you will find and he’s someone who will have no problem starting Week 1 of the 2020 season where he could very well find early success much like Elgton Jenkins did.

Here is what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had to say about Ruiz in his final scouting report:

"“Athletic and tenacious with the combination of skills and technique to fit into a variety of blocking schemes on the next level. Ruiz wins early with initial quickness and fast hands into first contact. He works to convert early advantages into wins. He’s consistent in securing down-blocks and has the athletic traits to become a second-level factor. He’ll give some ground to power rushers and needs help against wide-bodies, but the tape checks out. Ruiz has early starting potential and should develop into a good pro with guard/center flexibility.”"

So having said all of that, do I think that this is a likely pick for the Green Bay Packers at 30th overall? No, I don’t.

At this point, they just have more pressing needs elsewhere and as I mentioned already, while Ruiz could see playing time if an injury occurs inside, the Packers wouldn’t truly need him until 2021 potentially. While I do think that they should strongly consider drafting an IOL at some point this year, I’d be surprised if it is Ruiz in Round 1.

But without a doubt, Cesar Ruiz is certainly one heck of a player.