2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: S Lewis Cine, Georgia

As the Giants seek to upgrade their roster across the board, what would Georgia's Lewis Cine bring to the mix?

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Feb 26, 2022 6:54 PM EST

Lewis Cine, S

Height: 6’1
Weight: 200 lbs.
Class: Junior
School: Georgia

A former four-star recruit out of Cedar Hill, Texas, where he attended Trinity Christian School, Cine was the seventh Texan recruit and the third safety prospect in the 2019 cycle. Cine was born in Haiti and immigrated to the United States when he was four years old. He initially lived in Florida before moving to Everett, Massachusetts.

He was a star football player in Massachusetts at Everett High School. After Everett’s head coach retired, Cine moved to Texas to attend Trinity Christian. He was coached by the great Deion Sanders while in Cedar Hills and eventually committed to Georgia over Texas, Michigan, Penn State, and Florida.

Notables

Cine was a third-team All-American in 2021 and a National Champion. He won the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Defensive MVP Award and was first-team All-SEC. Cine had 73 tackles, 2 for a loss, and an interception with nine passes defended in 2021.

He finished his college career with 144 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, two interceptions, and 14 passes defended. Cine started his final two years at Georgia while on a loaded defense under Kirby Smart.

Strengths

Great length, good height, wiry lean frame
A good athlete for the safety position
Is fluid in space, has quick feet, and good lower body flexion
Changes direction well with solid lateral movement skills
Good recovery speed when beat
Excellent downhill ability, is a menace in run support
Takes good angles to the football from depth
Knows how to fit the run, when to box/spill, and is positioned well as a run defender from depth
Has bone-jarring hits on his highlight reel
Can really pack a punch with excellent play strength
Wide tackle radius and a sure tackler who establishes authority on the football field
Stays square to target and hits low with physicality
Has solid range to execute single-high role
Excellent click & close ability on routes underneath
Can play man coverage when asked, due to change of direction skills and agility in space
Has the range to get enough depth for his zone drops
Does well as robber on seam, delivers punishing hits over the middle to disrupt
Solid disruption skills at the catch-point
Downhill ability and acceleration assist with him blitzing (something that could further interest Cine with the Giants)
Handled a variety of roles: single-high, deep-half, apex

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Can Improve

Has the requisite athletic ability to play safety in the NFL, but isn’t a difference-making athlete like other safeties in the class
Better coming forward/downhill than he is dropping into coverage, albeit he’s not insufficient in his drops
Is a bit slow to react to concepts heading behind him
Could do a better job tracking the football while in the air
Cine’s 2020 hit on Kyle Pitts that caused a targeting ejection was wildly criticized and Cine’s physical nature could lead to some yellow laundry at the next level

Summary

Overall, Cine may not look it due to his more slight build, but he’s a thumper. He will make an excellent alley defender who won’t hamstring a defense in run support. Cine is known for his physical nature, but he’s more than just a box safety. He has coverage skills, solid range, versatility and brings an imposing demeanor to the football field on the backend.

He can move for someone with his play strength. His angles of attack are good, he has the burst and short-area quickness necessary for a modern safety, and he can play in the slot at times. He’s not the most athletic safety in the class, and his ball skills aren’t the best, but he should be a quality option that will upgrade a secondary for an NFL team on Day 2.

GRADE: 6.3