NFL veteran defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins signed a two-year contract worth up to $17 million with the New York Jets. Rankins spent the first five seasons of his career with the New Orleans Saints.
The #Jets are making another add to their defense: DT Sheldon Rankins. The 12th overall pick in 2016 has agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $17 million, source says.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 21, 2021
Sheldon Rankins Signs Deal With New York Jets
In 2020, Sheldon Rankins was part of a Saints roster very deep at the defensive line position. Fighting for playing time at defensive tackle, Rankins 20 total tackles including 1.5 sacks in the 12 games he played. He was placed on injured reserve in November with a knee injury that forced Rankins to miss four games. However, he was activated in time for the Saints postseason games.
Rankins has struggled with injuries throughout his career. In 2019, he was placed on season-ending injured reserve with an ankle injury in December, limiting the defensive tackle to just 10 starts. The Saints picked up the lineman’s fifth-year option in April 2019. Rankins was still rehabbing from a torn Achilles suffered in New Orleans divisional-round victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Rankins 2018 season was his most statistically productive of his career. Before sustaining that injury in the playoffs, he started all 16 games during the regular season. Recording 40 tackles and eight sacks, Rankins was a force on the improving Saints defensive front. Only Cameron Jordan had more sacks than Rankins among Saints players in 2018.
Rankins earned his only career interception in 2017. A season in which he helped the New Orleans defense improve from 31st in scoring to tenth. His rookie season began on injured reserve recovering from a broken fibula sustained in training camp. However, Rankins did show promise on his return from injury, recording four sacks in nine games his rookie year.
Rankins was drafted as the 12th overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. At Lousiville, Rankins was mostly a backup as a freshman and sophomore but earned a starting role as a junior and senior before entering the NFL Draft. He recorded sacks total during his college career.
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