Vikings introduce first round pick Lewis Cine

After a trade back from No. 12 to No. 32 on Thursday night, the Vikings concluded the first round of the NFL Draft by taking Georgia safety Lewis Cine.

He was on a 5 a.m. flight to the Twin Cities Friday morning, and later in the day was introduced to the media.

***Click the video box above to watch Lewis Cine’s introductory news conference***

Cine was a junior for the National Champion Bulldogs and played 15 games for Georgia last season. He cracked the starting lineup late in 2019 for Georgia and never looked back. He was named the Defensive MVP in their win over Alabama in the National Championship Game. Cine made 73 tackles, had one interception and nine passes defensed last season.

Cine did not allow a touchdown as the primary defender in pass coverage last season on 500 total pass coverage snaps. That was the most coverage snaps by any FBS defender without allowing a touchdown all year.

It’s the first time the Vikings have selected a safety in the first round since Harrison Smith in 2012.

The Vikings sent the 12th overall selection and pick No. 46 to Detroit for the 32nd, 34th and 66th selections. The net result of the 20-spot slide in the first round for the Vikings was an early third-rounder and a 12-spot jump in the second round. This is the first draft for new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The Vikings now have three picks on Friday night, one in the second round and two in the third.