Once touted as the Minnesota Vikings’ heir to Harrison Smith, former first-round pick Lewis Cine is now falling behind rising safety Theo Jackson.
Jackson, who had a standout season with a career-high 21 tackles and his first interception, has continued to impress during organized team activities (OTAs).
Alec Lewis of The Athletic highlighted Jackson as one of his favorite players to watch this spring, suggesting he could be a potential replacement for Smith once the future Hall of Famer retires.
“Jackson is only 25. The Tennessee Titans drafted him in the sixth round, waived him but wanted to keep him, and the Vikings picked him up. He is clearly the No. 4 safety on the depth chart and might be a future option post-Harrison Smith,” Lewis wrote in a May 24 mailbag segment.
The Vikings’ safety group is packed with talent. Camryn Bynum, Josh Metellus, and Smith each logged over 1,000 snaps last season as defensive coordinator Brian Flores found ways to utilize his best players.
Jackson was next with 126 defensive snaps across 15 games. Meanwhile, Cine played just eight snaps in one game last season and was a healthy scratch from the gameday roster several times late in the 2023 season.
Lewis predicted that Cine might not make the initial 53-man roster at the end of training camp, with second-year defensive back Jay Ward likely beating him out for the final spot.
“This is probably the most trusted position group on the roster. Smith, Bynum, Metellus, Jackson, and Ward are essentially shoo-ins,” Lewis wrote. “Cine’s overall explosiveness and acclimation to Flores’ defense will determine whether he makes the team, but I’d be surprised if he beat out any of the other five.”
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