Former NFL First-Round Pick And College Football Playoff MVP At Risk Of Being Cut

Making it in the NFL is a hard thing to do. Most careers average four years or less and the physical aspect of the game takes quite a toll on the body.

Sticking around is even harder when the inevitable injuries begin to occur. One former first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings is on the brink of that reality entering just his third year in the league.

Lewis Cine, a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft from the University of Georgia, could be on the cusp of being cut from the Vikings’ roster before he even plays a single snap in his third season.

Cine was an All-SEC selection in 2021 and was named the College Football Playoff National Championship Game Defensive MVP in 2021. Even with that success in college, his NFL career has been a rocky road.

During his rookie season, Cine suffered a severe injury to his left leg with a compound fracture that required two surgeries and sidelined him for the entire season.

Cine recovered but appeared in just seven games during the 2023 season registering just one tackle with his snaps coming on special teams.

While Cine’s rookie deal is only going to cost the Vikings $1.7 million should they keep him on the roster, his path to playing time is blocked by other safeties Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, Jay Ward and Theo Jackson.