Pats Pulpit
A former No. 32 overall pick was among the visitors to Gillette Stadium to begin the week.
The New England Patriots hosted defensive backs Lewis Cine, Marcus Banks and Tre Hawkins III for workouts on Tuesday, according to the transaction wire.
Cine, 26, was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, but sustained a compound leg fracture during his rookie season and was waived following training camp last year. He has made stops on the practice squad of the Buffalo Bills and the 53-man roster of the Philadelphia Eagles since then, appearing in 11 career games and earning a Super Bowl LIX ring.
The 6-foot-2, 199-pound safety attended Everett High School in Massachusetts and won consecutive MIAA state championships before moving to Texas. From there, Cine became a first-team All-SEC selection at Georgia. His junior year with the Bulldogs brought a team-high 73 tackles along with 10 passes defensed and one interception. It ended as the Defensive MVP of the CFP national title game.
Banks, 25, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2024. The 6-foot, 190-pound safety spent his rookie season on the practice squad and reached an injury settlement after reverting to injured reserve in August. A cornerback convert, Banks played collegiately at Alabama and Mississippi State. Between the programs, the past Crimson Tide national champion appeared in 49 games and started 26. Along the way arrived 73 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and two touchdown returns, including on a recovered lateral.
Hawkins, 25, entered the NFL with the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2023 draft class at No. 209 overall. By way of Trinity Valley Community College and Old Dominion, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound corner stands 20 games into his career. Hawkins has totaled 45 tackles, one interception and four starts while seeing 429 snaps on defense and 176 snaps on special teams. After finishing 2024 on injured reserve and reverting to begin 2025, he reached an injury settlement in September.
Head coach Mike Vrabel’s 5-2 Patriots currently stand with a full 53-man roster and 17-man practice squad.
