The New Orleans Saints selected defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft with the expectation that he would bolster a weak defensive front. Rankins went down with an injury Monday and was carted off the practice field. It was later reported that Rankins suffered a broken fibula and will have surgery that will keep him out 6-8 weeks, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Saints 1st-rounder Sheldon Rankins will have surgery for broken fibula
The rookie defensive tackle is expected to be out for at least six weeks.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Saints coach Sean Payton did not have an update on Rankins immediately following practice.
“You never want to see a player go down, but hopefully the news is good,” Peyton said.
Rankins has had a strong training camp and appeared to be living up to the expectations New Orleans had for the 12th overall pick out of Louisville. He was one of the most coveted interior defensive linemen in the draft, and was an exciting addition to a Saints defense that ranked 31st in the league in passing and rushing yards allowed per game last season.
New Orleans sacked opposing quarterbacks 31 times in 2015, tying them for 25th in the league. Earlier this summer, the Saints also lost pass rusher Hau’oli Kikaha to a torn ACL.
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