Scouting Profile: Sheldon Rankins is the ideal DT prospect

Get an in-depth look at the top prospects in this year's draft class leading up to the NFL draft, which takes place from April 28-30 in Chicago.

Sheldon Rankins

Position: DT
School: Louisville
College Experience: Senior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 299 lbs.
Age: 22

NFL player comparison: Geno Atkins

One of the few knocks on Rankins as he makes the transition to the NFL is his relative lack of size. But as has been the case with Cincinnati Bengals star Geno Atkins, the Louisville product does more than enough to compensate with an impressive combination of strength and quickness. Rankins plays with more power than Atkins in the running game, and his athletic ability should allow him to enjoy a similar development path as a pass-rusher.

Draft Projection: Round 1 (top 15 overall)

Strengths

• Physical strength allows him to anchor at the point of attack to excel as a run defender.
• Uses length to get hands inside opponent's chest and maintain position at the line of scrimmage.
• Has explosive burst off the ball to get upfield in pass-rush situations.
• Uses lateral quickness to dominate one-on-one opportunities he gets inside.
• Wide-ranging skill set gives him the versatility to line up in a number of positions on both even- and odd-man fronts.
• Demonstrates awareness to consistently find the ball as a run defender and get hands up to defend quick-drop passes.

Weaknesses

• Has a tendency to get upright at the snap, occasionally allowing opposing linemen to get leverage.
• Will need to continue to develop pass-rush moves.
• Undersized relative to the prototypical NFL interior lineman.

Combine Results