NY Jets sign defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins to two-year deal

Justin Fried

NY Jets, Sheldon Rankins Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

The NY Jets‘ revamped defensive line is looking scarier by the day. And after the reported addition of former first-round defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, it looks like one of the strongest units in the league on paper.

As first reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Jets have signed Rankins to a two-year contract worth up to $17 million providing further depth to an already-stacked defensive line.

Rankins will join the likes of Quinnen Williams, Folorunso Fautkasi, John Franklin-Myers, and the newly-signed Carl Lawson to give the Jets one of the more feared front-fours on paper.

The Jets’ defensive line was already one of the deepest position groups on the team. And now with the addition of Rankins, it has the potential to be something special.

Sheldon Rankins provides further pass-rush help for the NY Jets

Rankins was the 12th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and the New Orleans Saints expected him to make an immediate impact on defense. Unfortunately, a broken fibula suffered in training camp kept him sidelined for the first half of the season.

He returned and actually flashed quite a bit recording four sacks in just nine games. That was enough to earn him a starting role the following season.

Rankins started all 16 games and tallied a career-high nine QB hits, but he only finished with two sacks. Still, he remained in the starting lineup and put together a breakout 2018 campaign.

The former Louisville star finished with a whopping eight sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 15 QB hits in 16 games and recorded a career-best 78.8 Pro Football Focus grade that ranked 24th among all interior defensive linemen.

He was one of the best pass-rushing defensive tackles in the NFL and it looked like he was on the verge of stardom. Unfortunately, injuries would catch up with him again.

An ankle injury limited Rankins to just 10 games in 2019 before a knee injury cut his 2020 season short by four games. His production suffered as a result, and he clearly wasn’t playing at 100 percent in either season.

But the last time we saw a fully-healthy Sheldon Rankins, he was among the best interior rushers in football.

The Saints wanted to bring Rankins back, but their cap situation made it impossible. And according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Cincinnati Bengals also made a “hard run” at Rankins, but the Jets just beat them out.

New head coach Robert Saleh thrived in San Francisco due in part to a stacked defensive line. He’s looking to recreate that success with the Jets.

And the addition of Rankins is just another step in that direction.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.