After the Minnesota Vikings drafted Lewis Cine with their first selection in 2022, he had high expectations placed upon his shoulders. Cine’s future was glimmering with hope. He finished his collegiate career as a national champion at Georgia and was voted Most Valuable Defensive Player in the CFP Championship game. Cine then put up incredible testing results at the NFL Combine, leading Minnesota to select him in the first round. Experts immediately regarded him he as a high-ceiling prospect who could eventually replace long-time safety Harrison Smith.
The Vikings started Cine as a special-teamer, allowing him to acclimate to the speed of the pro game. But he suffered a compound fracture in his left leg only four weeks into his career that required extensive surgery and sidelined him for the rest of the season. Fortunately, Cine has made an incredible recovery, even participating in preseason games.
Cine played only two snaps on defense during his first year, and 2023 will essentially be his second rookie season. Cine also faces the challenge of learning a new defense after the Vikings replaced Ed Donatell with Brian Flores as defensive coordinator. Flores allows players to operate with freedom, playing to their instincts and strengths while also running complex schemes out of multiple formations.
Playing under a heralded defensive mind of Flores’ caliber will benefit Cine’s development. However, returning after injury to an entirely new system will pose a challenge for the young safety. Cine’s confidence will benefit from continuity and opportunity. While he will be afforded as many reps as he can handle, learning and continuing to run the same system will be crucial for his development.
Through two weeks of preseason, Cine has seen 104 snaps and PFF gave him a 42.6 grade. Most concerning? He has a 20% missed-tackle rate, a stunning shift from his sound tackling during his Georgia tenure.
However, there are reasons for optimism. Cine is essentially functioning as a rookie in his second year, and he has received unfair criticism for being a second-year former first-round pick from fans worried about his development.
His pure athletic traits are absurd. Cine’s talent far surpasses any other current Vikings safety. He can get from sideline to sideline in a short time and has the recovery speed to correct any coverage mistake or track down nearly any ball carrier
NFL Draft Analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about Cine after his combine performance:
Cine plays with a willing aggressiveness that fits right in with Georgia’s talented stop unit. He plays with an urgent, downhill approach, which leads to memorable collisions, but he’s not always under control in getting there. He doesn’t have desired mass and stopping power for his style of play, but the work gets done. Cine lacks range and instincts to play over the top and is better suited to split safety and down safety alignments. He can handle man coverage underneath but doesn’t have the hips to swing and sway with talented receivers down the field. Cine has future starting potential as a zero flinch safety, but has limitations for defenses to consider.
Zierlein’s evaluation fits with Cine’s limited action during the preseason. While his talent isn’t in question, Cine doesn’t have the patience or natural instinct to let loose and fly around the field. However, Cine has shown improvement in this facet of the game at times.
In the play below, Cine began following the running back out to the flats until it was clear he would be picked up by Abraham Beauplan.
Cine kept his eyes on Malik Willis. When it became apparent he would scramble, Cine flew in for a sack.
The next play also showcases Cine’s development. On third-and-five, Cine flies in and makes an open-field tackle without over-pursuing and missing his mark.
Cine also attempted to get lower with his tackles, gaining better leverage by hitting opposing players in their lower body instead of trying to fight through an upper-body tackle attempt. That didn’t always work perfectly for Cine, who missed a tackle and gave up a touchdown after a hurdle from Tyjae Spears, but it is better form than flying into players while not being able to wrap up tackles.
Cine’s tackling issue manifested on that play, but his issues are fixable. If he can react patiently and shore up his tackle form, we’ll be able to gain a clearer idea of his ceiling.
Luke Braun provides a Patreon breakdown of Lewis Cine’s play that is very informative, and you can find a clip of it below
Overall, Cine remains a very talented safety with high potential. The injury set back his development substantially. But under Brian Flores’ and Harrison Smith’s tutelage, Cine has the chance to jump into the spotlight. Experience is what he needs most, and if he’s able to stay healthy, he will have every chance to learn and thrive in the new defensive system.
