The latest addition of Jets increases strength, rather than addressing weakness.
The team agreed to a deal with Sheldon Rankins on Sunday, a source confirmed. The NFL Network reported it was a two-year deal worth up to $ 17 million.
Rankins has spent the past five seasons with Saints, who have called him to 12th overall in 2016 in Louisville. The 1.8m and 305lbs athlete started 33 games in New Orleans, but only one in the past two years. Injuries have been a problem for Rankins. He was on reserve for injuries in 2019 and 2020, with ankle and knee injuries.
The Jets must bet on Rankins, who turns 27 next month, now managing to stay healthy. He is known as a strong running defender, but he doesn’t generate much of a quick pass. PFF credits him with 43 total pressures out of 738 pressures in the past two years. The website ranked him as the 65th defensive striker out of 125. He has 17 ½ sacks and 44 tackles for defeat in his career. His best season was in 2018, when he had eight sacks and 12 TFLs.
The defensive line is one of the few strengths of the Jets. They have a flourishing star there in Quinnen Williams, as well as Folorunso Fatukasi and John Franklin-Myers, who have shown promise. The new coach Robert Saleh’s defense with the 49ers had many good attackers, however, the Jets saw the chance to give Saleh a little more help in position with Rankins.