Justin Melo with The Draft Network called safety Lewis Cine the Vikings make it or make-it-or-break-it player in 2024. The former 32nd-overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft has had a rough time in the NFL. Between injuries, adjustment to the league, and coaching changes, Cine has produced much of anything for the Vikings’ defense.
Cine suffered a major leg injury in Week 4 of his rookie season and was forced to miss the rest of the year. Ed Donatell, his first defensive coordinator, was fired and entered Brian Flores. While trying to recover from the leg injury, Cine had to learn a new defensive scheme and had difficulty transitioning when healthy.
During the 2023 season, Cine was a healthy scratch for most of the season and had just one tackle in ’23—the only one of his two-year career.
Not only has Cine been seen as a disappointment in the league, but Melo went on to talk about the rest of the 2022 NFL Draft class, and he didn’t hold back.
In truth, the entire 2022 Vikings draft class has been disastrous. Second-round cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. has battled injury and been passed over in favor of lower-drafted players like Akayleb Evans and Mekhi Blackmon when healthy. Fellow second-rounder Ed Ingram has played consistent snaps but has been below-average to league-average at best. Linebacker Brian Asamoah II was selected in the third round. He’s been outshined by an undrafted player in Ivan Pace Jr. Asamoah totaled a whopping 36 defensive snaps in 2023.
Most of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s other 2022 draft picks are no longer on the team with fifth-round running back Ty Chandler qualifying as the other consistent contributor. Adofo-Mensah didn’t draft a single high-end starter, let alone a blue-chipper despite making four top-66 picks.
Reports from OTAs haven’t favored Andrew Booth Jr., who may not make the Vikings’ 53-man roster in 2024. While there have been a few promising signs from Cine, neither player has lived up to the big hype they had coming out of college.