Sheldon Rankins

BIOGRAPHY

Sheldon Rankins was born April 2, 1994, in Covington, Georgia. He is a defensive tackle in the NFL. 

Rankins played college football at the University of Louisville. He played for Rick Hurst at Eastside High School. He was named a three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com. Rankins rated as the No. 32 strongside defensive end and No. 43 player from Georgia by Rivals. He recorded 50 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and nine sacks as a senior and was a two-time second team All-State honoree.

At Louisville, Rankins was mostly a backup during his freshman and sophomore years, recording 22 tackles and four sacks. As a junior, in 2013, Rankins started in all 13 games and had 53 tackles, eight sacks, and two interceptions. As a senior, in 2015, he had 58 tackles, six sacks, and a fumble return touchdown.

Rankins shot up draft boards due to excellent junior and senior seasons with the Cardinals that saw him average 56 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks per year as a lineman capable of playing either inside or outside. Defense had been the Saints' weakness for years, which made drafting Rankins a no-brainer as he excels at both rushing the passer and stopping the run.

On April 28, 2016, Rankins was drafted as the 12th overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. On May 9, 2016, the Saints signed Rankins to a four-year, 12.8 million dollar contract. During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Rankins was a force up the middle, recording 66 total tackles, 10 sacks and 17 tackles for loss.

Against the Bills in 2017, it was Rankins' turn to step into the spotlight, and his interception was the clear highlight for him and for a defense that has forced 10 turnovers in the seven previous games after not taking it away at all the first two games of the year.

Sheldon Rankins is an extremely talented defensive tackle, displaying the quickness, power, and effort to consistently make plays on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage and impact the quarterback. 

On March 23, 2021, Rankins signed a two-year, $17 million contract with the New York Jets. Rankins signed with the Houston Texans in 2023.