New Orleans Saints DT Sheldon Rankins Primed

for a Breakout For the first time in the Sean Payton Era Color Rush Austin Carr Jersey , the New Orleans Saints could actually field a defense that strikes fear in opposing offenses. They have a young and talented secondary and have made efforts to improve their front seven with the offseason additions of Demario Davis in free agency and Marcus Davenport in the draft.While 2017 Defense Rookie of the Year CB Marshon Lattimore and (finally-)Pro Bowl DE Cameron Jordan might be the most talked about players on the Saints defense, it’s actually DT Sheldon Rankins that Bleacher Report has named as the Saints’ biggest breakout candidate:NFL.com has even recognized that Rankins is posed to take more of a leadership role on the Saints defense. Check out this self-aware quote from Rankins to NFL.com:He’s not wrong. While Rankins finished with a pretty quiet stat line in 2017 (26 total tackles and 2 sacks), he graded out as an above-average Defensive Tackle according to Pro Football Focus. He also added this interception to highlight his year:A returning Alex Okafor and the addition of Marcus Davenport on the defensive line should help Sheldon Rankins generate more pressure in the interior, and Rankins take a big step forward in 2018 Color Rush Larry Warford Jersey , watch out.Buccaneers vs. Saints: Week 1 open thread [Saints fans: Sign up for FanPulse, our weekly Saints survey]It’s finally here, football fans! Week 1 across the NFL kicks into full gear, as we’re treated to eight early kickoffs on Sunday. For the New Orleans Saints Youth Michael Thomas Jersey , they open hosting one of their three NFC South rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.New Orleans leads the all-time series 32-20, with the most recent game being a 31-24 loss in the Week 17 regular season road finale. The Saints enter opening weekend having lost four straight, and have a total record of 5-7 in the Sean Payton Era. They’re 7-1 at home against the Bucs dating back to the 2011 season Youth Cameron Jordan Jersey , outscoring Tampa Bay 227-124 in that span.The Saints look to get their 2018 campaign off on the right foot, and have a good opportunity at hand with the Atlanta Falcons losing on Thursday night to the Philadelphia Eagles.Take a look at the Saints inactives list here, as Cameron Meredith and Andrus Peat won’t be in the mix.What’s your game prediction?