Houston Texans: 2018 draft report card looks sharp despite late start
By T.A. Mock
80th Overall: Martinas Rankin, OT Mississippi State
Martinas Rankin has the size you want from an offensive tackle. He stands tall at 6’5″ and weighs in at 315 lbs. He also has tremendous length with his 33+ inch arms and 10+ inch hands.
Coming out of the 2014 season, Rankin was the not only top JUCO offensive line recruit, he was the top JUCO recruit. Period. That is a pretty high honor. He proceeded to redshirt the following year. He then nabbed the starting left tackle job the next year.
In spite of being the former top JUCO recruit and a two-year starting left tackle, some are skeptical of his potential there in the league. He has been projected at all five spots. While versatility is always a plus, he seems to be a man without a position.
While he has the size, Rankin does seem to lack some of the athleticism needed to thrive at left tackle. That is why many think he’s best off all the way inside at center. Couple all of this with some health concerns from last season, it doesn’t look great.
So, you can count me in on one of those skeptics. There seemed to be better options on the board that project better to tackle. Time will tell if Rankin will thrive or join the storied history of Houston Texans third-round busts.