Texans DT Sheldon Rankins Speaks Out After Day 10 of Training Camp
Sheldon Rankins, the Houston Texans defensive tackle, has praised his teammate Will Anderson Jr. for his relentless work ethic and ability to take over games. According to Rankins, Anderson Jr.'s success is due to his relentless pursuit of knowledge and improvement.
Sheldon Rankins has been pulling aside young defensive tackle Kayden McDonald to help him with the nuances of the game. Rankins believes that McDonald, who is playing a completely different defense than he did in college, needs guidance on alignment, hands, and pad level on bull rushes. Rankins is helping McDonald to articulate these things in a way that allows him to work through them at a slower pace.
Rankins also praised defensive end Will Anderson Jr. for his ability to take over games. He believes that Anderson Jr. is getting to the point where he realizes that he has the power to dominate games. Rankins said, "I think the turning point for players of his caliber is when they realize that when they want to take it over, they can take it over." He also praised Anderson Jr.'s work ethic, saying that he is always looking for ways to improve, whether it's through film study or pass rush moves.
The Texans have also added defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Logan Hall to their defense. Rankins believes that Clowney brings a level of production to the table, while Hall provides versatility, being able to play from wide nine all the way to zero. He said, "I think Logan gives us that versatility, that I think we had with [former Texans DE Denico] Autry, in a sense."
Rankins also discussed what perfection looks like for interior defensive linemen. He believes that disruption is key, and that it's about being able to clog lanes and get quarterbacks off their spot. He said, "For us, inside, it's about disruption. It's about being able to clog lanes. It's about being able to get quarterbacks off their spot, not allowing them to be comfortable so those guys on the edge can rush freely and do what they do without thinking."
The addition of Clowney to the defensive line room has also been beneficial for the team. Rankins said, "It's great. I think in a way, it continues to drive guys like myself. I'm obviously getting older, but you still see a guy who's a little bit older than myself who continues to still do it at a high level."
The Texans are seeing flashes of their new defense, and Rankins believes that the sky's the limit for where they could be. He said, "Adding both of those guys to what we already had with myself, Will, Danielle [Hunter], Tommy [Togiai], adding in Kayden as well, the sky's the limit for where we could be."
With the start of the new season just around the corner, the Texans are looking to make a strong impression. Rankins and the team are working hard to get up to speed and be humming by Week 1.
Source: Yahoo Sports