It’s an unfortunate fact of NFL life that not every first-round draft pick works out. Most of them get more of an opportunity than just 10 snaps in two seasons before a team moves on, but that might not be the case with the Minnesota Vikings and Lewis Cine.
Cine was the No. 32 pick, the final selection of the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. After a fantastic career playing safety at Georgia, capped off with a tour de force performance in the Bulldogs’ national championship victory, Cine was a popular choice for the pick.
A devastating knee injury suffered in Week 4 of his rookie season robbed Cine of most of his first year with the Vikings. But Cine’s struggles began before that. The rangy safety had played just two defensive snaps in the first four games and was a healthy scratch in Week 1 — not exactly what the Vikings or their fans expected from their first-round pick.
Cine was healthy for 2023 but played in just seven games. More tellingly, the 24-year-old appeared on defense for just eight snaps, all in the Week 17 blowout loss to the Packers.
After being a healthy scratch for 10 games in his second year, Cine might not get a third in Minnesota. A recent minicamp report from ESPN indicates that Cine faces an uphill battle to make the Vikings roster in 2024.
During the practices open to reporters, Cine appeared to be no better than the sixth safety on the roster, if you include all-purpose defender Josh Metellus. Reserves Theo Jackson and Jay Ward, not to mention starters Harrison Smith and Camryn Bynum, were all working ahead of him.
Cine’s first-round status just two years ago will almost certainly get him another look with another team, but it’s still quite a disappointing beginning to what seemed like a promising NFL career for Cine.