January 26, 2022, is a day that many Minnesota Vikings fans will remember. The Minnesota Vikings have appointed Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as their next general manager. Shortly thereafter, he assisted in the hiring of Kevin O’Connell as head coach of the Vikings.
In his Sunday post, Pioneer Press journalist Charley Walters revealed some intriguing details about the first and second round draft picks from 2022, Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr.
Do not expect Lewis Cine or Andrew Booth Jr to make the Minnesota Vikings roster.
According to Walters, former first-round safety Lewis Cine is “untradeable” because to the $4 million guaranteed in his rookie deal, which has two seasons remaining. Charley, a former Minnesota Twin and longtime Sid Hartman scoops competition, states bluntly: “It’s likely [Cine] will be waived in training camp.”
Cine battled back from the injury in 2023, but he got little action on defence, logging only 8 snaps all season and finishing at the bottom of the safety depth chart. His sluggish NFL start may be attributed to his injuries, but word around TCO Performance Centre must not be good right now.
It is unclear whether he will be officially waived during training camp, but Lewis Cine’s time in Minnesota is approaching to an end, according to Walters. If the Vikings are unable to move him, it’s important to interpret the context.
Second-round cornerback Andrew Booth Jr.
Walters mentions Booth Jr. as a candidate who “seems close to being done as a Viking” in the same article. Booth Jr. has likewise not accomplished much in his two seasons in Minnesota. During the 2022 season, he received a dismal 41.7 coverage Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade, which led to his benching. He concludes the 2022 season with only 105 total snaps.
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Last season was slightly better, but he still exhibited too much inconsistency to be regarded a starter in the NFL. He was later replaced by Mekhi Blackmon, the 2023 third-round cornerback.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s 2022 Draft Class
Overall, Adofo-Mensah’s 2022 draft class has been unimpressive. So disappointing that it has most likely set this squad back a year or two, given that it has only produced one starter player (Ed Ingram).
If Cine and Booth are released during training camp this year, Ed Ingram, Brian Asamoah, Akayleb Evans, Ty Chandler, Jalen Nailor, and Nick Muse will be the only players from that draft class still on the roster. You might even argue that Asamoah, Evans, and Nailor will be on the hot seat this year.
Charley Walters suggests that Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr. are unlikely to make the 53-man roster this offseason.
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