Vikings Take Former Mass. High School Star Lewis Cine In NFL Draft

The city of Everett, Mass., will be represented in the NFL thanks to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings on Thursday selected Lewis Cine with their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, picking the safety at No. 32 overall. Minnesota originally was slated to pick at No. 12 but traded down in a deal with the Detroit Lions.

Cine, who played collegiately at Georgia, spent time at Everett High School before transferring to Trinity Christian (Cedar Hill, Texas). A native of Haiti, he was named the Massachusetts Defensive Player of the Year in 2017. Ranked as the No. 3 safety in his high school class, Cine was offered scholarships by 36 schools before enrolling early at Georgia, according to Trevor Hass of The Boston Globe.

The 6-foot-2 star was a third-team All-American last season, breaking up nine passes in the 2021-22 season.

The New England Patriots did get a look at Cine during the draft preparation process, as head coach Bill Belichick, director of player personnel Matt Groh and senior football advisor Matt Patricia all were on hand at Georgia’s pro day. But the Patriots elected to look on the offensive side of the ball with their first-round pick, selecting offense lineman Cole Strange at No. 29.