Sheldon Rankins out 6-8 weeks with broken fibula

Former Louisville standout Sheldon Rankins, who was drafted No. 12 overall by the New Orleans Saints last spring, was carted off the practice field after suffering an unspecified leg injury during practice Monday morning.

Ominous news: #Saints first-round draft pick Sheldon Rankins went down with an injury during goal-line drills & had to be carted off (1/2)

— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) August 15, 2016

Saints head coach Sean Payton said after practice that he wasn't going to speculate on Rankins' injury, but that he hoped the news the team received later today would be good.

In 2015, Rankins finished third on Louisville's team in sacks (6), and second in tackles for loss (13). He also finished the season with seven quarterback hurries, one pass defensed, and returned a fumble 46 yards for a touchdown against Boston College.

Rankins made national news last week when he intercepted Tom Brady during a joint practice with the New England Patriots.

Here's hoping the best for Sheldon.

UPDATE: Rankins suffered a broken fibula and will be out for the next 6-8 weeks. Bad news for both Sheldon and the Saints, but at least he'll still have an opportunity to make an impact as a rookie.