The New Orleans Saints made the decision to pick up the fifth year option for defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, a first round pick back in the 2016 NFL Draft. It was a good call to make, keeping Rankins under contract until March 2021. But the Saints have another decision to make with cornerback Eli Apple, acquired in a trade with the New York Giants last season — and who was picked two spots ahead of Rankins, at No. 10 overall.
That introduces a new variable. The process behind deciding how much these fifth-year options (which are fully-guaranteed) are valued is a little complicated; Joel Corry of CBS Sports explains how top 10 picks are worth more than those at No.