Ex-Vikings Draft Bust Gets Another Shot

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – AUGUST 20: Lewis Cine #6 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on against the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter of a preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 20, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

The 2022 NFL Draft class of the Minnesota Vikings has lived in infamy for GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

The class saw one notable player come out of it for the Vikings’ benefit. That player is WR Jalen Nailor, who may be out of the door this offseason anyway.

G Ed Ingram has had a career resurgence on the Houston Texans, but wasn’t a fit for Minnesota. RB Ty Chandler has also gotten some notable run, but is likely gone this offseason as well.

The most infamous of all the selections, of course, was the first-rounder. After a questionable trade from the jump with the Lions, Minnesota took safety Lewis Cine out of Georgia with the 32nd overall pick. The Vikings were hoping to get an heir-apparent to Harrison Smith, but that wasn’t the case.

Cine has been a part of three different NFL rosters. He began with the Vikings, signed with the Bills in 2024 after his release, and was part of the Eagles‘ Super Bowl winning roster in 2024-2025.

Lewis Cine has now found a new home, only not in the NFL.

Lewis Cine Taken by DC Defenders in 2026 UFL Draft

GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – AUGUST 19: Lewis Cine #6 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates a tackle against Tyjae Spears #32 of the Tennessee Titans in the first half during a preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 19, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

PurplePTSD‘s Janik Eckardt had the scoop on Cine’s new ventures.

“Cine’s next stint will bring him to the nation’s capital, but not to the Commanders. No, he’ll be a member of the UFL franchise DC Defenders.

Cine will join several former Vikings on the roster, such as Andre Mintze, Jordan Ta’amu, or Abram Smith. Unlike those guys, however, Cine was envisioned to become a star in the Twin Cities, following Harrison Smith’s footsteps. Given his play at Georgia and the outstanding physical tools, that was not out of the question.”

Former Vikings QB Jaren Hall was also selected in this draft, as he will join the Birmingham Stallions roster.

Jaren Hall is 28, and Lewis Cine is still a young 26 years old.

Former Vikings WR Trent Sherfield Jr. Signs in New England

GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 16: Aaron Jones #33 celebrates with Trent Sherfield Sr. #11 of the Minnesota Vikings after a scoring touchdown during the third quarter against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 16, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Vikings are now seeing another former employee hop on a squad for the 2025-2026 NFL Playoff run.

This time, its WR and special teams ace Trent Sherfield Jr. The receiver has agreed to terms with the New England Patriots, joining their practice squad.

Sherfield Jr. joins former Vikings Garrett Bradbury, Stefon Diggs, Vederian Lowe, and many others in the Northeast. This is the receiver’s 8th different NFL employer. His career journey has taken him to each of the following:

The Vanderbilt product has seen plenty of travel in his career, serving most teams for only one season. Sherfield Jr. went undrafted out of Vandy, being picked up by the Cardinals after the 2018 NFL Draft. This was the same draft that Arizona drafted UCLA QB Josh Rosen in the first round.

Most recently, Trent Sherfield Jr. rejoined the Cardinals on their practice squad in 2025. This was after he was waived by Denver in November after the team signed Lil’Jordan Humphrey.

Brevan Bane Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the VikesNow YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane