New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins may begin the 2019 campaign on the physically unable to perform list, according to Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate.
Rankins tore his Achilles during the Saints' Divisional Round playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles back in mid-January and could take as many as 10 months to fully recover.
This is a huge blow to the Saints, as Rankins was one of the best players on their defense this past season, racking up 40 tackles, eight sacks, and a forced fumble.
The 24-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Louisville, was originally selected by New Orleans in the first round (12th pick overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He played in just nine games during his rookie campaign due to a broken fibula, finishing with 20 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble.
Then, the following year, Rankins started all 16 contests and totaled 26 stops, a couple of sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble.
Due to Rankins' injury, defensive tackle is now considered a big need for New Orleans this offseason.
Even with Rankins in the lineup, the Saints were merely a middle-of-the-pack defensive team in 2018, as they ranked 14th in both yards allowed and scoring defense.
New Orleans won 13 games and captured the NFC South division title this past season, also nailing down the best record in the NFL. The Saints then moved on to defeat the Eagles in the Divisional Round before suffering a devastating overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game a week later.
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