This was the Lewis Cine the Vikings wanted to see since they selected him 32nd in the 2022 draft. This was the Lewis Cine who was selected to the All-SEC first team at Georgia and was the best defensive player in the national championship game.

Sure, it was just a preseason game against mostly reserve players, but Cine delivered his best performance in a Vikings uniform in Saturday’s 27-12 win over the Browns. He was all over the field and recorded the most tackles on his team with an interception and a sack. Cine seemed to play freely and confidently, which allowed him to fly around and make things happen.

“It’s great to see him so comfortable out there and making some plays,” Kevin O’Connell said. “I felt his physicality. I know the guys on the sideline were excited to see Lew do his thing.”

It was the day Cine really needed. The fact that he played practically an entire preseason game says a lot about his place on the Vikings’ roster. Since recovering from a leg injury that cost him his rookie season, he hasn’t been able to prove himself at all on a deep safety roster that includes Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, Josh Metellus and Theo Jackson. Cine might have even been sixth on the list behind Jay Ward and now Bobby McCain (with Ward moving to the cornerback position). The fact that he missed a lot of time during training camp with an injury didn’t help him at all. In my prediction last week, I didn’t project him for the 53-man roster.

Was this game enough to change that, or was it too little, too late? Cine has been truly outstanding in Cleveland, and at 24, the Vikings may not want to give up on the former first-round pick just yet. Even if there isn’t a role for him on defense this year, he could be a potential contributor in 2025 and beyond. After all, Smith could retire after this season and Bynum is entering the final year of his contract.

Other teams with less-staffed safety rooms will take note of Cine’s Saturday inclusion. If the Vikings release him on Aug. 27, he’ll likely be claimed by someone before he makes Minnesota’s practice squad. So if the Vikings don’t keep him on the 53-man roster, it might behoove them to see if they can get something like a conditional sixth-round pick back for Cine in a trade.

After that performance, I’d be pretty tempted to find a way to make room for Cine on the roster. He’s a dynamic athlete with size, speed, and physicality that are hard to find. Cine hasn’t been able to put it all together in the NFL, but what if he could do it against the Browns? As Kwesi Adofo-Mensah always says, everyone’s development is different. There’s a chance that keeping Cine could pay off for the Vikings at some point.

No matter what happens, it was cool to see a young player who was struggling at this level get back to being the best version of himself.

“It feels good to run around and play football,” Cine said. “It feels good to show my true potential. … I was just playing football. I think that’s a difference between now and a few years ago. I play fast now, which is great.”