If there’s a silver lining to the New Orleans Saints seeing a former first round draft pick walk away, it’s that they should expect to receive a future selection in return as compensation. The New York Jets reached an agreement with defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins on a contract paying out $8.5 million annually, which is good news for New Orleans down the line.
Right now, the analysts at Over The Cap project the Saints to recoup a fifth rounder in 2022 to offset losing Rankins; that’s in addition to a compensatory third round pick (following personnel executive Terry Fontenot being hired by the Atlanta Falcons) as well as a fourth round selection (for defensive end Trey Hendrickson’s deal with the Cincinnati Bengals).