A lot has been made this off-season about Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine. Cine has been a popular candidate to be a roster cut-down day casualty. Even on this outlet, we’ve talked a bit about Cine and the possibility of him being a trade candidate for a team looking to take a flier on a former first-rounder.
What hasn’t been talked about much, however, is the opportunity for the Vikings to wound up squandering by making the draft-day trade with the Lions, which ended up with the Vikings taking Cine. Had they stayed where they were — originally the 12th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft — they could have had one of the best safeties in the league, Kyle Hamilton.
Recently, ESPN polled several NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to get their thoughts on the top players in the league at each position. Regarding the safety position, they had Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield, Jr., son of former Viking Antoine Winfield, Sr., at the top spot and Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton right behind him at two.
Had the Vikings opted to stay where they were, they could have taken Hamilton with the 12th pick and solidified their safety spot. They were on the market for a safety either way, and Hamilton has quickly become a force to be reckoned with at the position.
Additionally, by not trading with the Lions, they would have potentially prevented their division rivals from being able to add to their wide receiver corps with Jameson Williams. Granted, Williams has not been great for the Lions yet, but the potential is still there with him.
Not making the trade would also (likely) mean that Minnesota never gets the draft capital that eventually lands them Andrew Booth, Jr., Ed Ingram, and Brian Asamoah II.
Booth was seen as somewhat of a steal at the time, but has yet to really deliver on that potential. Ingram has served as a starting offensive guard for the Vikings, but his play has left a lot to be desired, and Asamoah has been a role player in his time with the team.
Have those players made important contributions to the team? Yes. But would the Vikings have ultimately been better off by staying put and drafting Hamilton two spots before he eventually went? You can make a strong case that they would be.