5 Vikings Preseason Hot Takes: Lewis Cine’s Rise, An Undrafted Rookie Starting
The Minnesota Vikings are 2-0 in the meaningless preseason standings, giving fans a much better feeling than the 0-3 records in each of the past three years. While most of the starters were resting, the depth candidates battled for roster spots. Some shined, others disappointed.
5 Vikings Preseason Hot Takes
Everyone watching a game has thoughts like, “Actually, Ivan Pace Jr. is the best linebacker in the NFL.” So, let’s observe the hot takes someone could’ve formed during the second preseason contest.
1. Lewis Cine Just Needs More Time to Live Up to Expectations
Safety Lewis Cine was the regime’s first draft pick. Rarely has the start of a new staff been worse, as the 32nd overall pick from 2022 barely cracked the active gameday rosters last year. Many thought he would be on the chopping block following his third preseason with the team.
On Saturday, however, Cine impressively said “not so fast” to those bidding farewell. The former Georgia standout defender was flying all over the field, recording a sack and an interception. Most impressively, perhaps, were his ten tackles, as he always found a way to be close to the ball.
Last season, the Vikings kept six safeties. Doing the same this year would give Cine more time to develop into the player he was drafted to be. His absurd athleticism was on full display against Cleveland, and the project should continue for another season. The Vikings don’t want to give up on a first-rounder who’s showing promise and could flourish into a star somewhere else.
2. Trishton Jackson Should Contribute
Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are well-established as the top two WRs on the team. Jalen Nailor and Brandon Powell are favored for the roles behind them, with Trent Sherfield continuously drawing praise for his blocking.
All of them might form a solid receiving corps with diverse skill sets, but keeping Trishton Jackson on the team is only logical. The 26-year-old just keeps making plays, regardless of the identity of the quarterback. Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy, and Nick Mullens have all feasted with him on the receiving end.
Through two preseason games, he is up to seven catches and 139 yards with various excellent highlight plays such as his deep touchdown in the first contest and his toe-tap catch in game two.
Whether they get it done by cutting Sherfield or by keeping six wideouts, Jackson should have a seat in the locker room in the 2024 season. Not only that, but he should also receive playing time and targets from Darnold.
3. Will Reichard Is a Franchise Kicker
Kickers are strange people as they can fly high in one moment and completely fall apart in the next. A good example of that is Blair Walsh, who had an outstanding rookie season and was quite a solid kicker until his missed kick in the 2015 playoffs.
Sixth-rounder Will Reichard, however, looks like the real deal. Some didn’t like Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s decision to draft a kicker, but so far, the GM has been right. He hit three extra points and two field goals. The longest was a 41-yarder. If perfectly splitting the goalposts right down the middle would have given extra points, he would’ve gotten those.
While some of the previous kickers in Minnesota turned easy field goals into nailbiters, Reichard’s consistency and accuracy lower the concerns. He might just be the guy kicking the field goals for the Vikings for a long time, breaking the kicker curse in the Twin Cities.
4. Two Sleepers Help Solidify the Defensive Line
The defensive line has been a problem in Minnesota, but seventh-rounder Levi Drake Rodriguez and undrafted rookie Taki Taimani can help coordinator Brian Flores in his attempt to fix the line.
Rodriguez is a quick pass rusher, playing with heart and motor. He is on the inside track of making the roster and should see snaps early in his career. Fellow rookie Taimani might be a practice squader first, but he clearly looks like the second-best defensive tackle on the team behind Harrison Phillips, and his ability to stop the run will make a difference in the long run.
5. Future Starter Dwight McGlothern
Another undrafted rookie, Dwight McGlothern, has the length and the ball skills to be a starting cornerback in the league. It might not be this year, but it will happen sooner than later. Many pundits wondered why he went undrafted, and so far, they are correct.
Almost daily videos from training camp surface of him either locking down a wideout or snatching the ball from the quarterback. On Saturday, he grabbed an interception and returned it for 91 yards.
Following the signing of Stephon Gilmore, the Vikings suddenly have a deep cornerback group with Byron Murphy, Akayleb Evans, Fabian Moreau, and Shaquill Griffin, but there should be a spot for McGlothern somewhere on the roster.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt