What the Vikings can expect from new safety Lewis Cine in 2022
By Luke Parrish
The Minnesota Vikings selected Lewis Cine in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. What can they expect from the Georgia safety?
After trading down from the 12th overall pick, the Minnesota Vikings landed Georgia safety Lewis Cine with the 32nd overall pick on Thursday night. The Vikings traded back with the Detroit Lions rather than joining the chase for wide receivers and wound up with an excellent value at the bottom of the first round.
The trade also gives the Vikings the second pick of the second round on Friday night which could be a huge trade slot once again. Malik Willis was not selected in the first round and could be a massive target on Day 2.
Lewis Cine was one of the leaders of the Georgia defense that dominated the SEC last season as they charged toward a National Championship. Cine was overshadowed by a handful of teammates that also went in the first round on Thursday night, but he was a star for the Bulldogs nonetheless.
Minnesota had to address the secondary to some degree in this draft. Grabbing a player like Lewis Cine with the 32nd pick is great value and fills an immediate need for their defense. He will be an impact player from Day 1 with the Vikings.
While Cine is not the pure cornerback that many expected Minnesota to take, he is a versatile piece on the defense that can play all over the field, though he will likely play primarily as the deep safety. This is an exciting start to the weekend for the Vikings.