Eagles Rumors: Center Cesar Ruiz Drawing Interest Ahead of 2020 NFL Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles own nine picks in the 2020 NFL draft, with two in the top 100 (No. 21 and No. 53).

The defending NFC East champions can go a few different routes with their picks, and one could be targeted for an offensive lineman.

Per Jeff Skversky of WPVI-TV on Saturday, "the Eagles have been doing their homework on Michigan center Cesar Ruiz."

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report ranks Ruiz as his top interior offensive lineman and 27th-best prospect overall in this year's draft. He also lists Ruiz as the best pass-blocker, zone-blocker and Day 1 starter among interior offensive linemen as well.

Ruiz could be the successor to Jason Kelce, a 10-year veteran who has two years remaining on his contract.

However, Kelce hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, earning Pro Football Focus' top grade for all qualified centers last season.

But Ruiz is listed as a player with positional flexibility in multiple places. Of note, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, Joe Marino of Draft Network and Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN all believe Ruiz can be a guard.

In that respect, Ruiz might be the best fit for Philadelphia at left guard.

The Eagles already have a superstar at right guard in Brandon Brooks, whom Pro Football Focus ranked as the best run-blocking offensive lineman at any position.

Left guard could perhaps use improvement, although Sam Monson of PFF noted that it wasn't necessarily an issue last season:

"Left guard has seen the biggest weakness on the Eagles line over the past several seasons, and while that was still probably the case this year, it was far from a problem. Isaac Seumalo played all but one snap over the season and finished the year with a PFF grade above 70.0 including the playoffs. He surrendered five sacks, but four of them came in two games against top-end opposition and he didn't allow any for the final eight games he took the field."

In that respect, the question is whether Philadelphia is best-suited to select a prospect at a position of greater need, such as wide receiver or cornerback.

Injuries over the past few years have decimated both positions, and the Eagles have lost some talent in those spots to free agency (e.g., wideout Nelson Agholor and cornerback Ronald Darby). Wide receiver is loaded in particular in this year's draft, with Miller placing nine in his top 49.

Still, the Eagles would benefit from landing Ruiz, who is from nearby Camden, New Jersey.

Ruiz told Skversky that his mother would be very happy if he became a member of the Eagles, who have reportedly spoken with him "multiple times."

This year's draft will take place from April 23 through April 25.