The former first-round pick has a lot of work to do in order to not only make the Vikings’ 53-man roster, but to earn a role in 2024.
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.
The Minnesota Vikings find their next franchise quarterback in the most recent mock draft from The Draft Network
With the Reese’s Senior Bowl having come and gone, NFL draft season is officially underway. That means we will get a ton of mock drafts with different directions that teams like the Minnesota Vikings can go. For this one, The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez dropped his post-Senior Bowl mock draft, which had Minnesota finding their next franchise quarterback.
With the 11th pick, Sanchez had the Vikings choose Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
At the Senior Bowl, Michael Penix Jr. showed that he can work under center and that’s exactly what the Vikings’ front office needed to see. In Minnesota, Penix Jr. would have two high-level weapons to throw the ball to along with one of the best play-callers in the NFL.
In Tyler Forness’ most recent mock draft roundup, Penix was shown to be the quarterback most pundits in the sports media world would take for the Vikings.
Penix had a season to remember in Washington’s final year in the Pac-12, throwing for just under 5,000 yards (4,903) with 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Penix didn’t participate in the Senior Bowl game but was the best quarterback in the practices leading up to it.
If the Vikings decide not to resign Kirk Cousins, this could be the route the front office takes to start the next era of football in Minnesota.
The post-NFL draft coverage doesn’t end when the last pick is selected, and until things like next week’s schedule release and upcoming organized team activities, followed by minicamps and training camps, the topic of conversation remains the new crop of rookies and their new teams.
Crabbs was a major force behind The Draft Network and continues to rate and grade prospects as in-depth as anyone in the social media community, especially in his now recently more Dolphin-centric coverage.
With a fan base going through collective mixed emotions on the strategy in this draft, headed up by general manager Chris Grier, Crabbs explained each pick, starting with No. 51 overall, second-round cornerback Cam Smith of South Carolina.
Other than potentially seeing a path to the field early on because of aging veteran cornerback durability, Crabbs says of Smith, “You have a player that you feel comfortable playing on the inside or playing on the outside.”
Crabbs references Smith’s game film from a 2022 matchup.
“I just watched the Tennessee game last night for Cam Smith and Tennessee runs this big spread offense that spaces and stretches the field and you’re seeing him play kind of a pseudo-safety, nickel, hybrid type player,” Crabbs said. He then referenced the 2021 tape where he said Smith was “much more prevalent on the outside.”
Crabbs uses the word versatility for Smith and mentioned the rumored “weaponizing” of defensive back, and advertised corner, Jalen Ramsey seeing time at safety here and there.
Crabbs made sense of the selection, saying, “I think having another corner that warrants meaningful playing time gives you optimal versatility on the backend.”
This bodes well when considering new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio uses his cornerbacks in strategic ways, and, in some cases, with plenty on the field at once.
“I think the player himself is pretty exciting,” said Crabbs. He described Achane’s ability to assist in the passing attack, so he could add a new element to the current crop of Dolphins runners.
Undersized, however, a speed-burner, Achane is 5-foot-9 and just 190 pounds. A very small chunk of NFL players at that stature have had success, but Achane’s speed mixed with this offense and Mike McDaniel’s system and creativity could be a solid combination.
Crabbs also described how Achane could be a presence when on the field, and perhaps be a catalyst for the Dolphins to create spacing issues, which could help other skill position players.
Moving deeper into the draft, and the pair of Dolphins Day 3 picks, next up was sixth-round selection – No. 197 WR/TE hybrid Elijah Higgins from Stanford.
In explanation of this pick, Crabbs went to first describe what McDaniel’s “ideal tight end” could look like on this specific Dolphin team, and it’s not a player like George Kittle.
Crabbs said that he likes Higgins’ perimeter blocking ability, and those can help in screen games and RPOs. These are areas Mike Gesicki wasn’t able to be on the field last season to help in. Crabbs calls Higgins, a “super-sized Trent Sherfield,” as a hybrid type player. He highlighted some blocking areas, with the ability to get down the seam as a target as well.
“I can see a niche role for Elijah Higgins on this roster pretty quickly,” Crabbs said.
Lastly, Crabbs spoke about Michigan’s offensive line and the Dolphins’ seventh-round selection, Ryan Hayes, pick No. 238. Part of the awarded best collegiate offensive line the last two years, Hayes was a left tackle for the Wolverines. A former tight end, Crabbs says he’s a little lean and may need to add some mass. With a shorter reach than most tackles, he could find a way to play guard in the pros.
“He moves really well,” Crabbs said. “I think he’s very fluid I think he gets good movement in the run game when his feet are able to stay engaged and keep moving.”
Additionally, Crabbs called Hayes, “a better run blocker than a pass-protector.”
The Draft Networks Jaime Eisner is hearing loud rumblings that the Minnesota Vikings are trying to trade up for a quarterback.
The Minnesota Vikings need a quarterback of the future and they might have to trade up to get one. The Draft Network’s Jaime Eisner has the Vikings trading up to the second overall pick with the Houston Texans and selecting Kentucky quarterback Will Levis.
Surprise! You may have seen the betting odds change for the No. 2 overall pick on Saturday, with Will Levis becoming the odds-on favorite. But I don’t think that’s because the Texans are taking him. I’ve heard loud rumblings that Minnesota is very active in trying to trade up for a quarterback and I think they will pull off a blockbuster here. Levis will succeed Kirk Cousins after the Vikings chose not to extend the latter beyond this season. There is a major disconnect between how fans and those inside the NFL view Will Levis. Don’t get me wrong, there are several people in the NFL who are uninterested in drafting Levis this high, but there are plenty who believe he is absolutely worth the cost with the upside to be the best passer in the class when it’s all said and done.
This had a huge nugget in here. Eisner has been hearing loud rumblings that the Vikings are trying to trade up for a quarterback. What is shocking here is that Eisner has the Vikings selecting Levis with both C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson on the board.
Going up this far to take Levis doesn’t make a lot of sense. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah comes from the Cleveland Browns organization and trading up for a player that will be a 24-year-old rookie doesn’t exactly track.
Needless to say, the next 96 hours are going to be a wild ride.
The Maryland cornerback has become a very popular selection for the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings were at the scouting combine where the cornerbacks and safeties had a great performance. There were a myriad of great athletes at the position and multiple players tested within the believed thresholds for the Vikings.
The Draft Network’s Jaime Eisner is of that mindset and has them selecting Maryland cornerback Deornte Banks in his latest mock draft.
The Vikings must add to their CB room in the 2023 NFL Draft and Deonte Banks is a great fit. Banks’ size, length, and ability to press give him the ability to be a starter early in his career.
Banks was a physical monster at Maryland and he tested incredibly well both in his jumps and ran a 4.35 40-yard dash. He excels in man coverage and would be a great addition to the soon-to-be revamped Brian Flores’ defense.
Getting aggressive players who can play man coverage on the outside will be a priority
The Minnesota Vikings have been mocked 14 different players that can play cornerback so far this year. It’s been a common occurrence because the Vikings only have three cornerbacks on the roster in Cameron Dantzler, Andrew Booth Jr and Akayleb Evans.
Until the Vikings fix the major holes vacated by free agency, it will continue to be a theme. Damian Parson of The Draft Network agrees. He sent the Vikings an aggressive cornerback in Maryland’s Deonte Banks.
“The Vikings’ defensive secondary was not impressive in 2022. This defense needs to take a step forward heading into 2023 to prevent so many one-score affairs. Deonte Banks has the height, weight, and speed to succeed on the perimeter in the NFL. He has the traits to potentially become the Vikings’ CB1 of the future.”
Everything that Parson wrote is true. Banks a physical player on the outside who proved that he could hang with the top receivers in the country. He would be able to compete for a starting job on day one.
Drafting a center in the first round won’t be the sexiest pick in the world
There are a lot of questions surrounding the Minnesota Vikings this offseason and how they’ll approach free agency and the NFL Draft. With Garrett Bradbury potentially leaving as an impending free agent, it leaves the Vikings with a hole on their offensive line.
On Monday, Keith Sanchez of The Draft Network released his latest mock draft, in which he helped the Vikings out by having them select Minnesota Gophers center, John Michael Schmitz.
“John Michael Schmitz was one of the biggest risers after the Senior Bowl and the Vikings desperately need a versatile interior offensive lineman to upgrade that position. The Vikings need to add an element of toughness to their offense to be able to impose their will running the football. Schmitz should help them do both things.”
While not a splashy pick, this would definitely fill a need for the Vikings and give them stability at the center position for the next decade or more. Schmitz has incredible strength and is a technician with his hands and footwork. He should thrive wherever he is picked. It’s also noteworthy that Schmitz’s agent is former Vikings offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles.
The Vikings have a need for a wide receiver and getting one in round one fills a major need
The addition of Brian Flores as defensive coordinator likely signals a focus on defense, especially with how he prioritizes man coverage. However, it’s not the only route that the Vikings can go in the draft to get better.
“You certainly don’t get the warm and fuzzies about Adam Thielen right now in Minnesota, so wide receiver makes sense as a pivot for the Vikings. A cornerback run earlier in the draft likely didn’t help us get defensive help for the Vikings but he, the draft is more than one round long. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a nifty route-runner who can complement Justin Jefferson very well.”
Adding a wide receiver to complement Jefferson should be a priority. Is it how you should spend your first round pick? That’s a great question worth a long debate. Smith-Njigba is great in space and understands how to win in open space. He likely is a slot-only, but with the Vikings using a lot of condensed sets, they can work with that.
The Packers definitely need a safety, but the 2023 draft class doesn’t look gifted with top-tier talent at the position.
Addressing safety is a must for the Green Bay Packers this offseason. But if their plan is to do so in the draft, only three players from that position group are located inside the top 50 on The Draft Network’s big board, and two of them may not be exactly what the Packers need at the position.
The play from the safety position in 2022 – along with pretty much the rest of the defense – was underwhelming for the Packers. The normally steady and reliable Adrian Amos had what was easily his most inconsistent season since joining the Packers, and he is now scheduled to be a free agent, while Darnell Savage was often at the center of communication breakdowns that led to big plays for the opposing offense. Eventually, he was benched.
In addition to the lackluster play, this is a position group very much lacking depth at the moment as well. Savage is only under contract for 2023, playing on a fifth-year option, and certainly can’t be considered a long-term solution at the position. The only other safeties on the roster are Tariq Carpenter, a primary special teams player during his rookie season, and James Wiggins, who was signed to a futures deal in January.
Adding to this position early on in this year’s draft should certainly be on Brian Gutekunst’s radar; however, at least according to The Draft Network’s big board, there may not be many options to do so, with Jordan Battle, Antonio Johnson, and Brian Branch being the only players in the top 50. Here is a closer look at each of those players.
23. Jordan Battle, Alabama: The 6-1, 206-pound Battle is one of the more experienced players you will see, with over 2,600 career snaps at Alabama over four seasons. The bulk of his snaps have come as a free safety, but he also has experience in the slot and as a box defender. This past season, he allowed 16 receptions on 20 targets but at only 7.7 yards per catch with a pass breakup. Of the three safeties, in terms of need at the safety position, I believe Battle is the best fit.
25. Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M: Johnson, who stands 6-3 and weighs 195 pounds, has had the bulk of his playing time come over the last two seasons, most of which have come from the slot. In his career, Johnson has allowed 71 completions on 101 targets but held pass catchers to just 6.4 yards per catch with one interception and pass breakup. He was also a very active run defender this past season.
30. Brian Branch, Alabama: Like Johnson, the majority of Branch’s snaps have come from the slot, according to PFF. With the Packers having Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, and Eric Stokes, not to mention Savage, while they need safety help, they don’t exactly need another option from the slot, which is why as a free safety, Battle may be the best fit, unless the plan is for Branch or Johnson to be utilized more often as traditional safeties in the NFL. Branch was a stout run defender in 2022, ranking 18th in run-stop rate among safeties, and held opponents to 6.8 yards per catch with six pass breakups and one interception.
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Now, of course, just because The Draft Network has only three safeties in their top 50 doesn’t mean that things won’t change between today and the draft, or perhaps the Packers will value other players differently, leading to more options. Also, if Green Bay doesn’t land a safety in Rounds 1 or 2, it doesn’t mean they can’t find a contributor later on, but obviously, the odds of doing so decrease.
Other safeties just outside of TDN’s top 50 include JL Skinner from Boise State, Brandon Joseph from Notre Dame, and Christopher Smith from Georgia. The strength of this draft class at the top end is at the tight end, edge rusher, and cornerback positions.
As I wrote recently for Packers Wire, in addition to the draft, adding a safety in free agency makes a lot of sense for Green Bay as well. There is value in having a veteran presence in the locker room and on the practice field, not to mention that after what we saw in 2022, relying heavily on Savage comes with some risks, and even productive rookies are quite inconsistent–just look at the Packers’ 2022 draft class.
Within Joe Barry’s defense, safeties are asked to do a lot, including being a willing and capable presence in the run game with the frequent light boxes that are utilized, along with also having to protect against the big passing play downfield. Again, this is where having additional experience on the roster could help.
With limited spending power in free agency, any free agent signing likely won’t be a flashy signing or a high-impact player, but instead, the goal would be to provide depth and needed stability to the position. Bringing back Rudy Ford is a move that fits these criteria.
As of now, the Packers hold the 15th and 45th overall selections in the 2023 draft. Other positions of need are tight end, edge rusher, wide receiver, and interior defensive lineman.
In their latest mock draft, The Draft Network has the Vikings selecting a cornerback
The Minnesota Vikings have a variety of needs as they head into the next season. While they have yet to make any free agent moves, cornerback is one position many fans and the media expect the Vikings to prioritize.
On Sunday, Joe Marino of The Draft Network helped the Vikings out by having them select South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith in his latest mock draft.
“The Minnesota Vikings stacked a bunch of wins together in 2022 with little help from their defense, which must be upgraded this offseason. Cam Smith is a versatile corner that can win in zone or man with exciting ball skills, physicality, and athleticism to be a lock-down performer in the NFL.”
The Vikings currently have Cameron Dantzler, Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth Jr. under contract for next season, so adding Smith would be a big addition to that cornerback room.
There is still a lot that can happen between now and April, but if the Vikings come away with Smith in round one, they can feel comfortable knowing they have some youth and potential to build for the future.
