What’s Next For Lewis Cine?
It was reported Monday by ESPN’s Kevin Seifert that 2022 first-round draft pick Lewis Cine was watching from the sideline. Again.
The third-year safety from Georgia has had a rocky start to his NFL career. He suffered a gruesome injury four games into his rookie season and then struggled to find the field in his second season. Injuries can slow down a comeback season, but right now, it appears that Cine could be on the outside looking in.
Last year, safeties Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum provided security on the secondary’s back end. As if that wasn’t enough, fourth-year safety Josh Metellus played all over the field, playing 1,063 snaps on defense. These positions on defense ranged from his natural safety position to the defensive line. Throw in speculation that Theo Jackson, a 2022 sixth-round pick from the Titans, is splashing in camp, and it appears that Cine is on the outside looking in.
So what does this mean for Lewis Cine, the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft? He’s already fallen out of favor for Metellus, who was a sixth-round pick in 2020, and Jackson, who was a late addition to the 2023 squad. With minimal draft selections in 2025, is Cine on his way out?
Right now, it appears that’s the case. The Vikings added defensive back Bobby McCain on Monday. After the tragic death of Khyree Jackson and the injuries of Mekhi Blackmon and Shaq Griffin at cornerback in the past few weeks, the team added McCain. The hybrid defensive back has played both cornerback and safety in his career and is also familiar with defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ scheme. Throw that all together and the Vikings have a new versatile chess piece.
Cine, meanwhile, appears to be on the furthest back burner possible. He has played only ten defensive snaps through two seasons. Even on special teams, he only had 84 snaps in 2023, far from a regular. Not every NFL player can be a regular contributor to either offense or defense, but those guys need to be able to show their prowess on special teams. Unfortunately, Cine hasn’t shown he can even be counted on for that.
The Lewis Cine Dilemma
With that being said, will Cine be cut or traded? With minimal on-field snaps on defense, it feels like a stretch that even Cine, a first-round selection two years ago, could command anything more than a day-three draft pick. Still, trading him could get the team an additional pick in a draft where the team has little draft capital. Perhaps it’s worth holding onto Cine just for the off-chance that some team fell in love with him pre-draft in 2022, hoping to flip him for a late-round draft pick or two.
It’s not going to be easy for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, one way or another. Hold onto Cine and hope for the best while there’s a good chance he never sees the field.
Trade Cine for a day three pick after trading down from the 12th overall pick in Adofo-Mensah’s draft debut, and it’s admitting defeat. Either way, in a roundabout way, handling the first “big splash” of the KOC/Adofo-Mensah regime looms large during 2024’s training camp. The 12th overall pick has been disappointing.
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