The New Orleans Saints defense will suffer with the loss of Sheldon Rankins
By Jon Dove
Sheldon Rankins was expected to be a major part of the New Orleans Saints defensive rebuild but will miss up to 8 weeks after a leg injury.
The New Orleans Saints have used the past two years to really work on upgrading the talent on the defensive side of the ball. Their main focus was to get tougher in the trenches and dominate the line of scrimmage.
Rookie Sheldon Rankins was key to their plan because his ability to penetrate and disrupt the timing of the offense. Pressure from the middle of the defense is tough for quarterbacks to handle because it obstructs their vision and keeps them from stepping into the throw.
The running game is also impacted by penetrating defensive tackle because it forces the ball carrier to make a quick decision.
Rankins injury will cause the Saints to make some changes and alter their game plan. It means that Nick Fairley will be asked to play a more important role and get fewer opportunities to rest.
The Saints could also look to move Cameron Jordan inside on passing downs in order to give the offense a different look. Basically, this injury limits the Saints options and hurts the team’s overall depth.
Losing Rankins doesn’t only hurt the production of the defensive line but it also puts more pressure on the secondary. Rankins ability to generate pressure tends to force the quarterback to get the ball out quickly.
New Orleans has some issues in the secondary and could’ve benefited from the added pressure Rankins would’ve provided.
Rankins is only a rookie and would’ve had his share of ups and downs. However, the defensive tackle position is an easier position to make an immediate impact. The Saints likely feel they could survive with Nick Fairley as their main interior threat, but the loss of Rankins will still be felt.