The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL draft.
In the 2021 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers selected Eric Stokes, the cornerback out of Georgia, in the first round. Stokes proved to be a home run selection, leading the team in pass deflections and showcasing the ability to take half the field away.
Fast forward a year and Brian Gutekunst could dip his toes back in the pool that is the Georgia secondary in the 2022 NFL draft.
Lewis Cine is a player that Green Bay’s general manager could target with the 28th overall pick. The Georgia safety checks in at No. 15 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
Cine, a four-star recruit out of Texas started two games as a freshman in 2019, recording 12 tackles in those two starts. In 2020, Cine recorded 52 tackles, one tackle for loss and three pass deflections.
This past season Cine led the dominant Georgia defense in tackles (72) and pass deflections (9). He also recorded two tackles for loss and one interception. Cine was named the MVP of the College Football Championship, recording seven tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass deflection.
Cine covers a lot of real estate with his 4.37 speed. He has a quick trigger and looks like a centerfielder in the backend. He has good field vision and has the high football IQ to recognize things quickly. He has clean footwork.
“He’s very good at positioning himself and managing space,” Ian Cummings, an NFL Draft analyst for Pro Football Network, said. “He can carry and pass off receivers, as well as the intelligence to process route concepts. When he sees a play developing, he closes very quickly. Cine’s processing, explosiveness, and length give him great ability in zone coverage, but he’s quietly good in man as well. He’s very fluid for his size and has impressive throttle control, and he can effortlessly throttle up out of transitions and stick with receivers. His speed allows him to carry most players upfield, and it also grants him great recovery capacity.”
That 4.37 speed shows up in run support. Cine looks like he was shot out of a cannon when he’s coming downfield. He’s physical and a big-time hitter. The former four-star recruit takes great angles to the football and is a reliable tackler when he arrives. According to Pro Football Focus, Cine only missed 11 tackles during his three-year career. On top of being a reliable tackler, Cine arrives with violence. There was a play in the SEC Championship Game where he stopped Alabama’s running back Brian Robinson dead in his tracks.
“Cine is exceptional in run support as well,” Cummings said. “He’s most often recognized for his explosiveness downhill and his hard-hitting ability. He certainly has that, but his consistency in this phase often goes overlooked. Cine consistently takes good angles to the football, and does so with pace. He’s willing to engage blocks and impose his physicality, and he can stack and shed receivers to seal off outside runs. With his explosiveness, he can surge into the box, wall off runs, and wrap up ball carriers with his length, converting as a tackler.”
Cine does a good job of challenging wide receivers at the catch point with his length. He does a good job of timing his contact when the football arrives. Cine doesn’t have eye-popping ball production and questionable ball skills.
“It’s probably his weakest trait, which says more about how strong his overall profile is,” Cummings said. “It is something Cine will have to continue to develop. Cine no doubt has the length and closing speed to make plays on the ball, as well as the physicality and proactivity. As his statistics indicate, he flashed the ability to convert. There are times where Cine loses track of the ball in coverage, or fails to get his head around in time. He also times extensions poorly at times. While he has the physicality to play the ball through the catch process, he’s not yet consistent here.”
With his physicality and quickness, Cine could be a special teams standout as a rookie. It’s a role that he’d likely have to take on if he were to land in Green Bay, playing behind Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage as a rookie.
“Cine is an explosive player with great tackling ability and physicality,” Cummings said. “With his athleticism, football IQ, and tenacious style, I’d want to use him most often on the defensive side of the ball, and channel all of his reps there.”
Fit with the Packers
With Amos and Savage entrenched as starters, the Packers don’t have an immediate need at safety. As it stands right now, Amos and Savage are both set to be free agents following next season and the NFL draft is about long-term projection, not immediate need.
It’s worth noting that Henry Black played 25 percent of the defensive snaps as the third safety for Joe Barry’s unit last season.
If the Packers were to draft Cine in the first round he may not be a starter as a rookie, but he’d see the field on defense, while likely playing on special teams.
“If Green Bay was to pick Cine with one of their first-round picks, they’d be getting a stellar player,” Cummings said. “Especially with the long-term futures of both Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos uncertain, it makes sense to add a player like Cine. Right away, he can rotate in as a contributor at safety, and file into the slot on some reps. If someone moves on in the future, he fits perfectly on the back end as a rangy safety with all-around utility.”
Cine is a physical, tone-setter and he has outstanding range. He checks a lot of the boxes for the Packers. He’s an outstanding athlete and he’s only 22 years old.
As a rookie, Cine can take over for Black as the team’s third safety, while playing on special teams. If the Packers lose Amos or Savage next offseason, they will have Cine waiting in the wings.
