The pick is in. With the 12th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints selected Sheldon Rankins on Thursday night.
Rankins racked up 58 tackles, 28 of which were solo tackles and six sacks during his senior season at Louisville.
The 6’2″ 303-pound defensive tackle didn’t impress a whole lot of scouts early on in the draft process, but great performances in the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine wound up increasing his stock.
“Right now, we probably have more defensive players on our board than offensive players”, said Mickey Loomis during his Pre-Draft Press Conference on Wednesday. This pick looks to fit what Loomis was talking about, as the Saints defense last season ranked amongst the worst defenses of all time.
When asked if he had a preference of what he kind of defensive scheme he could be a part of in a teleconference after being drafted, he went on to say that “I can come in and play wherever they need me to play. I don’t have a preference.”
Rankins has had experience with a 3-4 defense while at Louisville, but also has learned some 4-3 style as well. According to Pro Football Focus, he would be an ideal fit for either the 2-gap or 1-gap and is very explosive from the interior and makes offensive linemen look silly. However, his production slowed down significantly during his final six games of his collegiate career.
-Clint Domingue