Lewis Cine reveals interesting pre-draft tidbit on 40-yard dash time

Lewis Cine was part of a record-breaking group for Georgia in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was the final pick of the first round after putting together an impressive pre-draft performance.

But there’s one important skill he didn’t test until the NFL Combine — and he shared it with reporters during his introductory press conference.

Cine ran a 4.37 40-yard dash on his second try, which is an impressive number. It’s also worth noting he did that without running a true 40-yard dash before the combine. He explained the thought process to reporters following the draft.

“Even from high school to college, I always was a fast guy,” Cine said. “A lot of people were surprised about it because I’m a big person, tall person. So they were like, ‘Oh, how can he move at his size like that?’ But I always knew that was something I could do. Believe it or not, I didn’t run a full 40 until the combine. I was just working on 10-yard splits and stuff because I always knew the rest would handle itself, really.”

Lewis Cine gives interesting thoughts on playing safety, love for the position

Vikings first round pick Lewis Cine got a chance to address media following being drafted by Minnesota. The former Georgia safety was asked about his positional versatility in the secondary, but pushed back on suggestions he could play a lot of different positions.

One reporter wondered if Cine would be able to lineup at outside corner back. To which Cine responded that he considered trying to play corner back in college, but quickly decided to leave those days behind. “I’ve always played safety,” Cine said.

Why does the former Bulldog enjoy playing the safety position? “I can be all-out physical,” said Cine. He likes attacking downhill, being able to see everything in front of him. He also had an interesting comment about his physicality. That while Cine likes to play violent football when he straps the helmet on — as soon as it comes off, he’s ready to relax and recede into his normal, calm state of mind. For him, playing violent football doesn’t mean staying a violent person when the pads come off.

On3’s Alex Weber contributed to this report.