Looking back, the 2022 NFL Draft class of the Minnesota Vikings has to be one of the most frustrating groups of young players ever to join the purple and gold. The class is full of players who never lived up to their potential or failed to perform to expectations.
That class was headlined by first-round pick Lewis Cine. The Vikings needed a safety to prepare for the future and chose Cine after a trade down that left many of Minnesota's fans scratching their heads or upset about not selecting other players.
Things didn't work out for Cine in Minnesota. Injuries held him back from being a contributor, and when he was on the field, he didn't look like he would be a player who could be relied on for future seasons.
Cine briefly landed with the Bills before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles off Buffalo's practice squad. That signing got him on the Super Bowl LIX winning squad for Philly and got him a championship ring.
The Minnesota Vikings used a first-round draft pick on safety Lewis Cine in 2022, but now he has been waived by the Philadelphia Eagles.
The six-foot-two, 199-pound safety is no longer with the Eagles. Announced by Philly, the trade for Sam Howell also meant letting one current player go, and that happened to be former Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine.
We have agreed to acquire QB Sam Howell and a 2026 6th-round pick from the Vikings in exchange for a 2026 5th-round pick and a 2027 7th-round pick. We have waived/injured DB Lewis Cine. pic.twitter.com/EXb7p6tCyq
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 24, 2025
Seeing that he was waived with an injury designation is disheartening. The 25-year-old defensive back has struggled to stay on the field since joining the NFL and that trend seems to continue and has ended his time with the Eagles.
Now, Lewis Cine will need to prove that he is healthy before he signs with another NFL team. While other squads are working on trimming their rosters to 53 players by the Tuesday deadline, Cine will hope to get another look to get on a roster for the 2025 NFL season.
When watching the tape on Lewis Cine at Georgia, it is easy to see why teams were interested in him during the 2022 NFL Draft. His physical and aggressive style would have fit in with what the Vikings were doing at the time, but that sadly never worked out for him.
It will be interesting to see what the next opportunity will be for former Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine. Although things didn't work out with the purple and gold, hopefully, he can get healthy and get his career back on track.