Vikings commerce again, choose Georgia security Lewis Cine at No. 32 in NFL Draft

The Vikings traded down 20 spots and chosen Georgia security Lewis Cine with the final decide within the first spherical of the NFL draft on Thursday evening.

Cine grew to become the fifth defender from Georgia’s nationwide championship crew drafted within the first spherical, heading to the Vikings after the Jaguars chosen go rusher Travon Walker with the primary decide, the Eagles took defensive sort out Jordan Davis thirteenth general and the Packers used each of their first-rounders on Bulldogs defenders (linebacker Quay Walker and defensive sort out Devonte Wyatt). Georgia grew to become the primary crew in NFL historical past to have 5 defensive gamers chosen within the first spherical.

Within the 6-2 Cine, the Vikings added a hard-hitting security to their protection with Harrison Smith heading into his eleventh season within the league and second-year man Cam Bynum making an attempt to win the job subsequent to Smith after Xavier Woods left in free company. Cine (pronounced SEEN) broke up 9 passes in his remaining 12 months at Georgia to earn third-team All-America honors, and ran a 4.37-second 40-yard sprint on the mix.

“The man made lots of performs on actually the perfect protection in school soccer,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell mentioned. “Once we requested [the Georgia players], ‘Which certainly one of your teammates would you like to deliver with you?’ Lewis Cine’s identify got here up loads.”

He mentioned the Vikings may have a look at methods to place Cine, Smith and Bynum on the sector on the identical time, including, “There’s lots of issues you are able to do to be dynamic on protection.”

With gamers like Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie, Notre Dame security Kyle Hamilton and Florida State go rusher Jermaine Johnson nonetheless out there, the Vikings traded again 20 spots from No. 12, getting picks Nos. 32, 34 and 66 from the Lions in change for the twelfth general decide and the Vikings’ second-rounder (No. 46 general).

Normal supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah mentioned “there was a thought” to creating a decide at No. 12, however the Vikings leaned on their predraft course of to make the commerce, finally taking a participant the GM mentioned the Vikings had pegged between picks No. 13 and 19.

He mentioned the Vikings acquired calls in regards to the thirty second decide, including “there was a curveball proper on the finish” earlier than they determined to choose Cine.

The Lions picked Alabama huge receiver Jameson Williams with the Vikings’ choice. The transfer gave Minnesota three picks on Day 2 of the draft. Adofo-Mensah mentioned the Vikings had checked out Williams, amongst others, with the twelfth decide, however determined the commerce provide from the Lions was a internet constructive.

Draft charts that measure the worth of every decide have been divided on whether or not the Vikings received the commerce, or whether or not they need to have gotten extra from their division rival in change for the possibility to maneuver up 20 spots.

The thirty second decide — which the Lions obtained from the Tremendous Bowl champion Rams in final 12 months’s Matthew Stafford commerce — made it the primary time the Vikings had the ultimate selection within the first spherical since 2014, after they traded again into the primary spherical to pick out Teddy Bridgewater.

In Adofo-Mensah’s first draft as common supervisor, he orchestrated a maneuver that had grow to be acquainted to Vikings followers in Rick Spielman’s remaining drafts: buying and selling again.

It was the third 12 months in a row the Vikings traded again within the first spherical. They moved again six spots with their second first-round decide in 2020, taking cornerback Jeff Gladney thirty first general. Final 12 months, they moved again 9 spots from No. 14 to No. 23 earlier than choosing left sort out Christian Darrisaw.

Followers on the Vikings’ draft celebration at U.S. Financial institution Stadium initially reacted to the transfer with confusion, after which irritation after they noticed the crew had moved again to the ultimate selection of the primary spherical.

Adofo-Mensah, who got here to the NFL after engaged on Wall Road, mentioned at his predraft information convention on Tuesday he thinks “quantity is actually vital” within the draft — although he added the info would not assist the thought of stockpiling late-round picks on the expense of a first-rounder.

The transfer, then, might need been pushed by an effort so as to add extra picks within the high 100 selections, an thought that’s typically supported by information.

“You have acquired a giant crew and you have got depth wanted and you have got issues you have to fill out, so I feel quantity is actually vital,” Adofo-Mensah mentioned Tuesday. “Now, I might push that no matter chart anyone is utilizing, there is not any quantity of seventh-round picks that may equal the worth of a primary decide. You possibly can try this with a thousand seventh-round picks and that is not going to equal the worth as a result of there is a specialness that comes with that first-round decide that is not replaceable very simply.

“These are issues you have to go back-and-forth with and consider in your thoughts. It isn’t a simple arithmetic equation. I really like these conversations now as a GM as a result of I was one of many folks constructing these charts, and I sort of snicker with folks, ‘I do not know. Let’s simply speak about this and use these [charts] as a backboard, however let’s speak about this and sort of perceive the dynamics that go forth.'”