MN Vikings Bust Can’t Even Make UFL Roster

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Lewis Cine - Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings will have a new head decision-maker leading their “War Room” during the 2026 NFL Draft, after general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired Friday in semi-surprise fashion.

We’ve been told that longtime executive, Rob Brzezinski, will be at the head of that snake. But is that totally true? There’s no doubt Kevin O’Connell will have a ton of say, as will the Vikings’ extremely well-compensated defensive coordinator, Brian Flores.

Kwesi was cooked after Minnesota Vikings 2022 draft

Given the MN Vikings’ draft results from 2022-2025 — while Kwesi was leading the war room at TCO Performance Center — any combination of KOC, B-Flo and Rob B. can’t produce anything worse, right?

If we want to look at the bright side, Adofo-Mensah got better at drafting the longer he was in charge, but there is a belief that 2022 was the April where he had the most control and say in who the Minnesota Vikings selected.

After that epic failure, he started taking more “advice” from Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores — not just in the draft, but during free agency too.

There is video evidence pretty much proving that Jordan Addison was a KOC pick back in 2023. Recent hits on defense in free agency, like Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel, were all Flores guys.

Related: Vikings GM Fired for Turning Down Blockbuster Trade?

But Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s biggest draft miss came during his very first swing — when he traded down 20 spots from No. 12 overall to No. 32 overall — passing on (S) Kyle Hamilton and (WR) Jameson Williams, in favor of (S) Lewis Cine, who’s rookie deal was worth $11.5 million.

We all know the story, from there. Cine broke his leg during his first preseason as a Viking. And when he finally got on the field one year later, not only was the hard-hitting Georgia safety lacking first round talent… but he didn’t even belong in the NFL.

Kwesi’s biggest draft miss can’t make UFL roster

Before the start of the 2024 regular season, Lewis Cine was waived by the Minnesota Vikings. After he was kicked around between a few different NFL practice squads the past couple years, Cine was forced to settle for a UFL contract with the DC Defenders on January 22, 2026.

Not even two weeks later… the 2022 first round pick has been cut from the DC roster. And unless he’s willing to play overseas, it’s possible Lewis Cine may now be forced to look for jobs outside of playing professional football.

Short of a football comeback story so insane that streaming services would go to war for the rights to retell it — Lewis Cine’s NFL career will end after 11 games played (0 starts) — 10 of which came in Minnesota.

Related: Former Vikings GM Did Not Complete Thielen Trade

Cine totaled 1 assisted tackle in his 11 games (2024 – Vikings). That is his only statistic at Pro Football Reference. But hey… at least we’ll always have that one 2024 preseason game…

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