Saints top pick Sheldon Rankins carted off practice field
— -- The New Orleans Saints' top draft pick, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, was carted off the field during Monday's practice at the team's training camp site in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
Rankins, who was drafted with the 12th overall pick, went down with an apparent injury during a set of live goal-line drills. No details have been reported yet on the nature or severity of the injury.?
Saints coach Sean Payton said after practice that he is "not gonna speculate" on Rankins' injury.
"Listen, we'll get an update and we'll keep you posted," Payton said. "Obviously you never want to see a player go down, and hopefully the news is good."
If the injury is significant, it will be another big blow to a Saints defense that also lost second-year pass-rusher Hau'oli Kikaha to a knee injury this summer. The Saints were woeful on defense last season, ranking last in the NFL in yards per rush and yards per pass play. Rankins was expected to be a big part of their turnaround.?
The 6-foot-2, 305-pound Rankins is an athletic and versatile big man who had 14 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss over his final two years at Louisville.
Rankins has mostly been working with the first-string defense this summer, though he has been rotating at the three-technique spot with another one of the Saints' key acquisitions -- veteran free agent Nick Fairley. Depending on the severity of Rankins' injury, Fairley could become much more important to the Saints' defense.
Rankins has been off to a solid start in camp so far, highlighted by his interception against Tom Brady in last week's joint practices with the New England Patriots. His athleticism has been evident -- though he has still been facing the normal rookie highs and lows.
"If he wasn't important, I don't think we would have drafted him with the 12th pick in the first round. So he's a good player," Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said Monday. "But he's one of however many guys we're gonna keep on defense, 25, 26 guys. So if it's any significant injury -- I don't know what the situation is; Sean probably would know more about that -- but it's 'next man up.'
"You're gonna face adversity throughout the season. Nobody knows when it's gonna come or in what form it's gonna happen. But if that's the case, it's next man up. The next guy's gotta step up, rise up and play at that same level. So that's our mindset."
Some good news Monday for the Saints: A source told ESPN Insider Adam Schefter that linebacker? Stephone Anthony, who suffered a leg injury last week, could miss a couple of weeks but?"absolutely is expected back by the start of the season."
