Sheldon Rankins, Jets agree to two-year deal worth up to $17M

The Jets have struck a deal with Sheldon Rankins. The defensive tackle will join Gang Green on a two-year deal worth up to $17M, according to a source who spoke with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.

Rankins, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2016 draft, saw his career sidetracked by Achilles and MCL injuries. Rankins seemed on track for superstardom up until his first Achilles tear in the 2018 playoffs. Playing from the interior, he notched eight sacks that season.

The 26-year-old (27 in April) has missed 10 regular-season games over the last two years. Between 2019 and 2020, Rankins has tallied just 30 stops and 3.5 sacks. But, with the Jets, Rankins has a chance to reassert himself.

“The healthier I got the better I felt and the more I was able to play like me,” Rankins said recently, via Conor Orr of SI.com. “There’s no limitations. I’m ready to get back to doing the things I’m accustomed to doing.”

The Jets still have lots of work to do on defense, and cornerback ranks high on their list of needs. With Quinnen Williams and promising linemen Folorunso Fatukasi and John Franklin-Myers, the Jets were already well set up front, but new head coach Robert Saleh wants to prioritize D-line depth.