FARGO — The Minnesota Vikings selected Georgia safety Lewis Cine at No. 32 overall for the final selection in the first round of the NFL Draft, which started Thursday night, April 28, in Las Vegas.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made his first selection leading Minnesota's front office. The Vikings initially had the No. 12 overall selection and traded back 20 spots with division-rival Detroit. The Vikings got picks No. 32, 34 and 66 in the deal, while the Lions acquired No. 12 and 46 overall.
There was mixed reaction on whether the Vikings got enough in return to trade back from No. 12 to the final selection of the first round.
The 6-foot-2, 199-pound Cine was part of a talented Georgia defense that helped the Bulldogs win the NCAA Division I FBS national championship. Georgia had a record five players selected in Thursday's first round, including Cine.
Below is reaction to the Vikings' first-round selection:
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#Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on how Lewis Cine will fit in with competition at safety: "Ultimately, it's about getting the best players on the field."
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) April 29, 2022
It was meant to be. #VikingsDraft pic.twitter.com/k8jTmfH9gN
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 29, 2022
Adofo-Mensah said that defensive coaches will be in the lab trying to figure out how to use Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum and Lewis Cine (together).
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) April 29, 2022
𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐆
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 29, 2022
Welcome to the #Vikings, @LewisCine! pic.twitter.com/CJlsPtB4Zz
"It's something I'll never forget for the rest of my life." - Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on making his first selection as a GM pic.twitter.com/yOvgC4Fys1
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 29, 2022
Lewis Cine was drafted with pick 32 of round 1 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 9.92 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 8 out of 868 FS from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/5t3IxhQTIE #RAS #Vikings pic.twitter.com/77eJ07sNVU
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2022
Lewis Cine Zoomed with the #Vikings, didn’t visit pre-draft. Cracked Georgia’s starting lineup late in 2019 season, stayed there. Dominated at Combine, big reason why Georgia won that national title game over Alabama. pic.twitter.com/bHQlzqOnxH
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) April 29, 2022
"I still look at this like a marathon and not a sprint. ... I know the team believes in me, of course, but I've still got to prove them right."@LewisCine spoke with Twin Cities media members short after being drafted by the @Vikings Thursday night.
— Lindsey Young (@LindseyMNSports) April 29, 2022
📰: https://t.co/bCy4wBZlqP pic.twitter.com/L1wGi1snYJ
Lewis Cine.
— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) April 29, 2022
The man is a sledgehammer. He. Hits. Everybody.
And yet has unbelievable ability to plant his foot in the ground and drive in coverage. @Vikings got one of my man crushes.
I’m just going to say it, the Vikings got fleeced in that trade. You don’t let a team trade up TWENTY spots and not get more. To a division rival also. I want to hear the rationale for this. #NFLDraft #SKOL
— Henry Lake (@lakeshow73) April 29, 2022
Finally, Lewis Cine doesn't have a clean comp, probably due to a more unique build, but a closer one I could find was Derwin James. #Vikings #RAShttps://t.co/54naAqprvV pic.twitter.com/3oX8KADTee
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2022
The #Vikings turn down trade offers and make the pick at No. 32: It's Georgia S Lewis Cine as the first round comes to a close.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 29, 2022
Skol, Vikings!@LewisCine is officially League bound‼️#NFLDraft | #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/DVXDgdMqY6
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) April 29, 2022
A night to remember. #NFLDraft @LewisCine x @Vikings pic.twitter.com/swsZARYTEg
— Roc Nation Sports (@RocNationSports) April 29, 2022
S Lewis Cine has the tone-setting traits to impact Ed Donatell’s defense. Run the alley, drive top-down on the ball in split-field coverages. He plays at full speed. @NFLMatchup #Vikings #Georgia pic.twitter.com/HsVXWXGgol
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) April 29, 2022
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on trading with another NFC North team pic.twitter.com/SfFyNO8jHD
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 29, 2022
Details of the deal https://t.co/ZQHlmqozwj pic.twitter.com/ssFfSWhFMK
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 29, 2022
The ESPN draft trade chart is based on Approximate Value (AV). Uses past production of players at each draft spot. AV suggests there isn't as big of a difference in draft spots as you might think. "Point totals" for the Vikings-Lions deal:
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) April 29, 2022
Vikings: 8.9
Lions: 7.8
With the final pick in the first round, the Vikings draft safety Lewis Cine from Georgia.
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) April 29, 2022
Perhaps a long-term option next to Harrison Smith. Cine has an immediate chance to start while competing with Cam Bynum for that spot.
We love him too, @joelklatt!
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 29, 2022
📺: @espn | @nflnetwork | @ABC pic.twitter.com/hf7SCqAFu2
GREAT trade back into the 1st
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 29, 2022
GREAT player selection for the Vikings
Cine is special https://t.co/amQ6JbamND
Blessing to be a VIKING !!! https://t.co/PUbonw0uRH
— ⱠɆ₩ł₴ ₵ł₦Ɇ (@LewisCine) April 29, 2022
Chasing dreams @LewisCine pic.twitter.com/IQ6qtFZLCW
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 29, 2022
First Draft #VikingsDraft pic.twitter.com/T3yGU72ooa
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 29, 2022
The Bulldogs bookend the first round, as 2022 #CFBPlayoff #NationalChampionship Defensive Player of the Game @LewisCine heads to the Minnesota @Vikings as the 32nd overall pick in the #NFLDraft! pic.twitter.com/3hSogSPAeF
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) April 29, 2022
We are hours away from the #NFLDraft ‼️How well do these prospects know the @Vikings? I put them to the test......
— Tatum Everett (@tatumeverett) April 28, 2022
Full video: https://t.co/65bGimHWtG pic.twitter.com/cbcLvbiuFh
The first school in the history of the #NFLDraft to have five defensive players taken in the first round. #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/SXdPeWhgIH
— UGA Football Live (@UGAfootballLive) April 29, 2022
