Vikings’ 1st-Round Pick Breaks Silence on Danger of Being Cut

This is a make-or-break summer for Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine, who has yet to carve out a role on the team after being selected in the first round of the 2022 draft.

On the first day of training camp, Cine addressed that this year is personal and understands he has to prove himself.

“This is huge for me on a personal note,” Cine told KSTP’s Darren Wolfson on July 24. “I think I really got to show out and really ball out and prove why I should be here and why I deserve to be playing in the NFL.”

After suffering a devastating lower leg fracture five weeks into his rookie year, Cine was sidelined for the rest of the 2022 season. He was buried on the depth chart last season behind the Vikings’ starting safety trio of Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum and Josh Metellus.

With Theo Jackson and Jay Ward outplaying Cine last season, the former 32nd overall pick was deemed as a potential roster-cut candidate throughout this offseason.

Cine acknowledged that he needs to make an impact and prove he deserves a roster spot this season.

“Just because you get drafted first round doesn’t mean you’re just handed anything,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that I broke my leg — that’s long behind me — I got the opportunity to learn the defense and not be rushed. I just have to use this opportunity to show I haven’t lost a step.”

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Vikings S Lewis Cine Has an Uphill Battle

Through two seasons, Cine has played primarily on special teams and logged only 10 career snaps on defense.

He was scouted as an instinctive box safety from Georgia’s dominant 2021 national championship defense. Cine was considered the heart of the Bulldogs defense that saw eight players drafted in 2022, including five in the first round.

However, Cine’s career has not panned out so far.

His first season with Ed Donatell was a wash, and learning a new defense under Brian Flores last season presented some problems with him seeing the field.

It’s concerning that Cine could not find himself a role in Flores’ defense given his explosive athleticism. Flores helped Metellus rise from being largely on special teams to playing over 1,000 defensive snaps.

While it’s just the first week of training camp, Cine is considered to be at the bottom of the depth chart and will have to make a considerable impression.

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis has taken stock of the Vikings’ safety room throughout the offseason and has Cine not making the final roster.

“This is probably the most trusted position group on the roster. Smith, Bynum, Metellus, Jackson and Ward are essentially shoo-ins,” Lewis wrote on May 2. “Cine’s overall explosiveness and acclimation to Flores’ defense will dictate whether or not he makes the team, but I’d be surprised if he beat out any of the other five.”

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Vikings Lose Promising CB Mekhi Blackmon to Season-Ending Knee Injury

While the Vikings’ safety group is one of the deepest in the league, their cornerback room suffered another significant loss on July 24.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that second-year cornerback Mekhi Blackmon tore his ACL, effectively ending his 2024 season before it even began.

Blackmon was poised to take a starting spot on the outside alongside Shaquill Griffin and Byron Murphy Jr., who the Vikings ideally want to play in the slot.

The Vikings must look for help at cornerback after losing Najee Thompson until mid-August with a knee injury and the tragic death of Khyree Jackson.

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