Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s tenure as Minnesota Vikings general manager got off to a rough start on the first night of the 2022 NFL Draft. He traded down from pick 12 to pick 32 to select Georgia safety Lewis Cine.
Unfortunately, Cine never made an impact in Minnesota. A compound fracture in his leg prematurely ended his rookie season. He only played ten defensive snaps in two seasons before being released before the 2024 season.
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Who should the Vikings have taken instead? PFF compiled a list, re-drafting each team’s worst draft pick from the past five years. Cine was the obvious choice for the Vikings. In this re-draft, PFF has the Vikings select safety Jalen Pitre, who was originally selected 37th overall by the Houston Texans.
Of course, the obvious decision now would be not even to bother trading down and instead select Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. The Ravens selected him 14th overall, and Hamilton has lived up to the hype, receiving two Pro Bowl nods and being chosen as a First-Team All-Pro in 2024.
The Cine pick still stings in Minnesota and sets the narrative about Adofo-Mensah’s ability to draft. If he had to do it again, the GM would be wise to take either Hamilton at 12 or Pitre later in the round.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: What if the Minnesota Vikings didn’t draft Lewis Cine in 2022?