A former Tennessee Vols player is poised to claim an NFL roster spot from a former Georgia Bulldogs standout.

A relatively unnoticed former Tennessee Vols defender is on course to claim an NFL roster spot from a former Georgia Bulldogs star who was a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Minnesota Vikings selected Georgia safety Lewis Cine with the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, Cine has yet to meet the high expectations that come with being a first-round draft pick.

Cine has played in just 10 games over his first two NFL seasons, recording only one tackle while playing a mere 10 defensive snaps.

In contrast, former Vols safety Theo Jackson appears to be in a better position with the Vikings than Cine.

Jackson, drafted in the sixth round by the Tennessee Titans in the 2022 NFL Draft, joined Minnesota during the 2022 season after being signed off the Titans’ practice squad.

The Nashville native has played in 26 games for the Vikings over the last two seasons, accumulating 30 tackles and an interception.

Alec Lewis from The Athletic noted last week that Jackson is “clearly” the No. 4 safety on the depth chart at this point in the offseason.

From The Athletic: Jackson, only 25, was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round, waived, and then picked up by the Vikings. He is clearly the No. 4 safety on the depth chart and might be a future option post-Harrison Smith.

This praise for Jackson from Lewis coincides with Inside the Vikings’ Will Ragatz suggesting that Cine is at risk of being cut before the start of the 2024 season after a recent OTA session.

From Inside the Vikings: Lewis Cine got beaten in coverage a couple of times and also dropped an interception off a deflection. It’s very early in this offseason, but the 2022 first-round pick might be at risk of getting cut before his third season.

A to Z Sports’ Evan Winter pointed out that Cine’s best hope to make the 53-man roster is for Minnesota to carry six safeties, as they did at the start of the 2023 season. However, the Vikings might carry more cornerbacks in 2024 due to the additions of Shaq Griffin and Khyree Jackson.

For now, things don’t look promising for Cine. The presence of Jackson, a player who has constantly fought to earn a roster spot since entering the NFL in 2022, is a major reason why the former Georgia standout could soon be looking for a new job.