Pass Rush

Rankins has a variety of pass rush moves with his favorite move being his bullrush converting speed to power. Rankins puts his hands inside the shoulder pads of his target pushing back with good leverage controlling the blocker.

Rushing from the interior, Rankins has a good rip move but uses it too infrequently. Standing at 6’1″, this move will need to be perfected as it will be crucial in his ability to rush as a one-gapper.

Just like the rip move, Rankins actually has a decent spin move but rarely used it. In this play, Rankins rushes from the 4i technique lining up inside the shoulder of the right tackle. Rankins spins around the right guard, but the running back pushes him back inside stopping the play. This spin was perfectly set up as he attacked the outside shoulder of the right guard before spinning into the A-gap.

Where Rankins struggles is his inability to disengage in pass rush situations. He attacks the blocker, but doesn’t get the separation necessary after initial contact with the blocker. To correct this, Rankins needs to get better at piecing moves together and developing a counter move to each of his main rushes. This will help him disengage more quickly. As a pass rusher, he needs to also plan his rushes in advance in order for them to be more effective.