Is Georgia's Lewis Cine Lions' No. 1 Safety of Future?
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The position of safety has been the Achilles’ heel of Detroit’s defense over the past two seasons.
Now with Lions safety Tracy Walker locked up for three years and $25 million, the question becomes who will be playing at the other safety position.
Could it be Georgia’s Lewis Cine, who played on the Bulldogs’ national championship team?
It just might be.
Ironically, Cine reminds me of Walker.
They are exactly the same height (6-foot-1), and are listed within six pounds of each other.
However, that is not where the comparisons end. Both also looked similar when matched up in coverage, and both have similar natural athletic ability.
Walker gets the nod as being the better tackler, and he is better providing help over the top.
So, Walker is the better of the two, but Cine would be a significant upgrade over Will Harris or any other safety on the Lions’ roster.
The big question with Cine is not ability, but how important football is to him. That is a question, because he looked like a different player against Kentucky, than against Alabama and Clemson. His effort looked better in the latter two games.
Tackling is another question mark with Cine. He missed some tackles he should have had in these three games, tried hitting instead of wrapping up sometimes and came in too high once.
Safeties are the last line of defense, and the best ones are the ones who are dependable tacklers.
Outside of these two concerns, Detroit absolutely has to consider Cine, because at the end of the day, it is all about upgrading the team’s talent level.
Cine grew on me the more I watched him.
Jenna Watson, IndyStar, USA TODAY NETWORK
#16 Lewis Cine - 6-foot-1, 200 pounds
2021 game film reviewed: Kentucky, Alabama and Clemson
Grade: Third round
Scouting Report
Lanky and athletic safety, with good speed, range and length. Shows some inconsistency with effort and not a dependable sure-tackler. Played deeper and demonstrated the ability to often come up and end up in position in run support. Sort of creeps in near the action. Reluctant to provide run support. He is there if needed.
Excelled and looked really good in man coverage. Showed he can stick close to tight ends and even carry receivers. Decent hip flexibility to change direction. Can adjust. One gear runner who lacks a second gear.
Excellent coming downhill and blowing up running-back screens. However, overall more of an after-the-catch defender. Not much of a playmaker. Showed he had the ability to provide deeper help and arrive just about in time, but inconsistent at doing so (especially in deep halves). Has blitzing upside to create pressure. Solid and has many positive traits. The inconsistencies are the concern.
If Cine is sitting there at No. 66 overall in the third round, the Lions need to make a paper airplane out of the draft card and fly it up to the podium to make the selection.
Cine would make the Lions’ pass coverage potentially better than last season when it was ranked No. 23. And, it would be exciting to see what former All-Pro corner and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn could do with Cine.
If last season was any indication, Glenn seems to know exactly how to push the necessary buttons to get the most out of his defensive backfield.
That is why this pick of Cine makes sense for Detroit.
