Saints Lose DL Sheldon Rankins to Jets
The 2016 first-round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints has apparently found himself a new NFL home.
Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, a free agent, agreed to a two-year, $17 million contract with the New York Jets on Sunday.
The 26-year old Rankins appeared in 12 games for the Saints in 2020, including one as a starter, compiling 20 tackles, including 1.5 sacks.
Rankins, who has been hobbled by injuries over three of his five seasons in New Orleans, was put on injured reserve with an MCL injury in early November, before being activated in December.
A 2016 first-round draft selection by New Orleans out of Louisville, Rankins suffered a broken leg as a rookie, before tearing an Achilles tendon in a Divisional Round playoff game against the Eagles following the 2018 regular season, and then missed the last few games of the 2019 campaign with an ankle injury.
The 6-foot-2, 305-pound Rankins was taken by the Saints with the 12th-overall selection of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Louisville.
As a rookie in 2016, Rankins appeared in nine games following his leg injury, compiling 20 tackles, including four sacks.
In 2017, his first year as a starter, Rankins racked up 26 tackles, including two sacks over all 16 games.
In 2018, his best season, Rankins started all 16 games, recording 40 tackles, including 8 sacks, which ranked second on the squad, behind only Cameron Jordan.
In 2019, Rankins appeared in ten games, all as a reserve, totaling ten tackles, including two sacks.
In parts of five NFL seasons, all with the Saints, Rankins appeared in 63 games, including 33 as a starter, accumulating 116 tackles, including 17.5 sacks.