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Ranking Saints’ last 10 first-round draft picks

The New Orleans Saints have some hits and misses in their last 10 first-round draft picks. Let’s take a look and see how all 10 compare to each other.

By Jaleel Grandberry

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6. OL Cesar Ruiz

Just like defensive line, the Saints invested in a lot of first-round offensive linemen. The majority of them panned out better than the defensive linemen and that’s why the big guys on offense are represented higher on the list. That includes Cesar Ruiz, who was drafted with the 24th-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Coming in as interior offensive lineman, Ruiz started nine of the 15 games he played in as a rookie. After that season, he was a full-time starter, starting all 47 games that he has played for the Saints over the last three years. He hasn’t made any Pro Bowls or All-Pro teams, but he has provided consistent, solid play.

5. DT Sheldon Rankins

Sheldon Rankins is another defensive lineman that is no longer with the Saints, but had a productive time when he was. He was selected with the 12th-overall pick was back in 2016. He showed up to New Orleans and became a dominant defensive tackle. Playing five season with the team, he started 33 of 63 games he played in, recording 116 tackles, 25 for a loss, and 17.5 sacks.

He has since played for the New York Jets and Houston Texans, and coming off an impressive six-sack season, he recently signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.

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