The Jets ’latest addition adds to a strength rather than a weakness.
The team agreed a deal Sunday with defensive end Sheldon Rankins, a source confirmed. The NFL network reported it was a two-year deal worth up to $ 17 million.
Rankins spent the last five seasons with the Saints, who ranked him No. 12 overall in 2016 outside of Louisville. The 30-meter freestyle started 33 games in New Orleans, but only one in the last two years. Injuries have been a problem for Rankins. He was on the injured reserve in both 2019 and 2020 with ankle and knee injuries.
The Jets must be betting on Rankins, who will turn 27 next month, and will now be able to stay healthy. He is known as a strong career advocate, but he doesn’t generate much haste. PFF credits him with 43 total pressures in 738 snapshots in the last two years. The place ranked him as the 65th inner defensive line player of 125. He has 17 and a half sacks and 44 tackles to lose in his career. His best season was in 2018, when he had eight sacks and 12 TFLs.
The defensive line is one of the Jets’ few strengths. They have a flower star there at Quinnen Williams, in addition to Folorunso Fatukasi and John Franklin-Myers, both of whom have proven to be promising. New coach Robert Saleh’s defense with the 49ers had, however, many good defensive liners, so the Jets saw an opportunity to help Saleh more in the position with Rankins.