Cesar Ruiz of the Michigan Wolverines came off the board in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the no. 24 overall pick to the New Orleans Saints. The reaction at his home was emotional, as cameras caught the offensive lineman with tears in the moment.
Ruiz’s story is an emotional one having lost his father at eight-years-old.
.@UMichFootball C Cesar Ruiz is overcome with emotion as he's drafted to the @Saints. @_OverCees #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/mWzZMtwtHL
— NFL (@NFL) April 24, 2020
Ruiz, who was a four-star prospect and the nation’s top center coming out of high school in the 2017 class, appeared in 36 games in Ann Arbor and made 31 starts (26 at center, five at right guard). He entered the draft after his junior season and was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and Pro Football Focus had him graded as the best pass-blocking center in the nation last year.
The 2020 NFL Draft takes place all weekend with the first round on Thursday (8 p.m. ET), second and third rounds on Friday (7 p.m. ET) and fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday (12 p.m. ET).