Vikings Safety Lewis Cine Has Depth Chart Hurdles to Clear in Training Camp

By all accounts, Lewis Cine's recovery from the serious leg injury he suffered last year went extremely well. The 2022 first-round pick attacked his rehab and said he wasn't limited at all during the team's offseason program this year. One Vikings coach even said Cine looked more explosive than he did before the injury.

With that in the past, the focus has turned back to football. And in that area, Cine still has plenty of work to do. He was clearly fourth on the depth chart at safety during OTAs and minicamp, trailing not only returning starters Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum but also special teams ace Josh Metellus, who has emerged as a versatile chess piece in Brian Flores' defense. When Cine was on the field, it was mostly with the second-team defense, alongside fellow second-year players Andrew Booth Jr. and Brian Asamoah.

It's always important not to draw any major conclusions from the first phase of the offseason. Training camp is where jobs and roles and roster spots are won or lost, with padded practices and joint practices and preseason games serving as crucial evaluation opportunities for coaching staffs. If he has a big camp, Cine could still bypass Bynum and Metellus and find himself starting next to Smith in Week 1. 

But he's going to have to earn it. Nothing will be given to the Georgia product simply because he was taken in the first round last year. If Cine does receive playing time on defense early this season, it will be because his play forced his coaches' hand.

Because Metellus is more of a do-it-all hybrid defensive back, Bynum is the bar Cine has to clear in order to crack the starting lineup. The 2021 fourth-round pick played every single snap at safety last season and was solid as a run defender, but his 50.2 PFF coverage grade was firmly below-average. Cine's college tape and draft pedigree suggest that he should be able to clear that bar, but he has to prove it in camp.