'Heat-Seeking Missile' Lewis Cine Brings Physicality, Speed to Vikings' Defense
They had a long wait after trading back from pick 12 to 32 on Thursday night, but the Vikings believe they landed a perfect fit for their culture and defense in Georgia safety Lewis Cine.
The first selection of the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell era, Cine is a tall, fast, hard-hitting safety who can blow up ballcarriers near the line of scrimmage and make plays in coverage with his anticipation and range. He was one of the best players on arguably the best defense in college football history, being named the defensive MVP of the Bulldogs' national championship game victory over Alabama.
“I think any time you can add a really good football player with kind of the traits of toughness and that explosive speed — the guy made a lot of plays on really the best defense in college football," O'Connell said. "It's not a coincidence that five of those guys got drafted tonight."
The Vikings spent time with a number of Georgia defensive players in the pre-draft process. One of the things they asked was which one of their teammates they'd like to bring with them in the NFL.
"Lewis Cine's name came up a lot," O'Connell said.
The Vikings love Cine's intelligence, toughness, and competitiveness. He was someone they claim to have been targeting as early as the teens, so to get him with the 32nd pick is a move they're really excited about.
The scouting report on Cine starts with his ability to diagnose, trigger, and fly to the ball as a tackler. ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid described him as a "heat-seeking missile that forces everyone on offense to keep their head on a swivel." Cine is a fluid, bursty athlete who can get to his 4.37 speed quickly. What he lacks in bulk — he's a bit undersized at roughly 200 pounds — he makes up for in fearlessness, physicality, and effort.
"I can be all-out physical and just do me on the football field and be okay with it," Cine said when asked what he likes about playing safety. "Think about it. Football is a violent game. A lot of things you do in football you can't do in the outside world or you'll get arrested. ... You can be as physical as you want, break some other man's will and get away with it. I embrace that and that's something I plan on taking to the next level with me."
Don't confuse Cine's aggressiveness with recklessness. He's someone who will strike fear into opponents with his presence, but he also understands how to play the game safely and avoid penalties. Cine was flagged just once in 15 games last season.
"I want to play the game safe," he said. "Let me say that for sure because now, at this level, the last thing I want to happen is to be fined. NFL fines people a pretty penny, so I want to be in the game, one; I want to not get fined, two; and I want to be dependable to my team, three."
Cine has a couple areas where he can continue to grow. He needs to continue honing his technique as a tackler, as he sometimes got by on pure athleticism in college. And if he can improve his ball skills at the next level — Cine had just two interceptions and several dropped picks at Georgia — he'd really become a well-rounded player in the Harrison Smith mold.
What's encouraging for the Vikings is that Cine got better in each of his three collegiate seasons, and despite the lack of ball production, he's not a one-dimensional prospect. Cine has the tools and instincts to make plays in coverage as a deep safety.
Speaking of Smith, Cine is excited to play with and learn from one of the best safeties of the 2010s. He says he's watched a ton of Smith's film and thinks they'll get along really well as fierce competitors and film junkies who are pretty laid-back off of the field. In an ideal world, Cine learns from Smith and turns into a great player next to him, then eventually takes the torch as the Vikings No. 1 safety.
The Vikings also have another safety they're excited about in second-year player Cam Bynum, who was penciled in as the starter opposite Smith before this pick. Adding Cine to that mix creates depth and competition, but it also gives defensive coordinator Ed Donatell the ability to mix and match different looks and coverages. One of Cine or Bynum will earn a starting role, but both will see the field in 2022 either way.
"Just that kind of unique skill set that we can add to our back end, that kind of interchangeable feel that we can maybe have at that safety position, it will make for great competition because we feel really good, obviously, about Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum, and the ability to add this player in Lewis to compete in that room," O'Connell said. "Then, there's a lot of things you can do personnel-wise to be dynamic on defense, and just those interchangeable pieces that allow us to put that master plan together that Ed and his staff are going to do. I'm really excited about that."
"It gives the defense something to think about, right, because of their coverage skill set," Adofo-Mensah said. "They don't necessarily know a certain tell or something like that. You always want versatile players. You always want great players. Specifically types that can cover for other people. [Cine's] range is so special. ... You can erase some mistakes from that position, and that's somebody we think we've added."
Cine had a unique journey to get to this point. He was born in Haiti, moved to Florida when he was 4, and then moved to Boston when he was 8. He spent his final year of high school in Dallas, where he was coached by Deion Sanders, before starring at Georgia.
Beyond just who he is as a player, the Vikings are big fans of who Cine is as a person and how he'll fit in their locker room. He gets along with everyone and is a tireless worker who has the hungry mentality you need to become great. Cine has a five-year-old daughter who is his "why", and he credits being a parent for helping him mature quickly into the man he's become.
Adofo-Mensah and company took some heat for the decision to trade down as far as they did, and that's understandable. But if Cine becomes a star like the Vikings believe he will, everything will have worked out just fine.
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