The Green Bay Packers didn't have a first-round pick this year, but their second-round selection is certainly playing like one. Brandon Cisse is getting better by the day, and he's made multiple general managers look foolish for passing on him.
The rookie out of South Carolina struggled early on, but he's worked on his flaws and is slowly becoming a premier shutdown cornerback. To cap it off, he finally got his first career interception in the big win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Given how well he's played and the belief that his arm injury is just a stinger, it might be time for the Packers to make some moves. Notably, trading Carrington Valentine should be near the top of that list.
The Packers found a true star in Brandon Cisse
Cisse allowed a 135.4 passer rating in his NFL debut. That number has dropped to 119.4, 113.7, 81.3, 70.8, and 9.4 in the following games. Yes, that says 'nine point four'; it's not a typo. That was Dak Prescott's passer rating when trying to test the rookie.
The Packers have clearly found their first star cornerback since Jaire Alexander, a guy who can contribute to the run with his physicality and shadow opposing wide receivers, even keeping well-established guys like CeeDee Lamb in hell.
Carrington Valentine is on an expiring deal, and he hasn't done much with the opportunities he's gotten dating back to last season. He had a pick against the Cowboys negated by a terrible roughing-the-passer call, but other than that, he's been more of a liability than a factor.
Valentine only got on the field because of Nate Hobbs' struggles. He's fine as a rotational piece, but not so much as someone who must play heavy snaps, so the Packers should try to flip him before he walks away in free agency.
Granted, there's also a case to be made for keeping him, considering that Benjamin St-Juste has barely played and is currently nursing a hamstring injury. Then again, getting whatever they can in return for his services might be better asset management.
The Packers' defense has gotten better by the week, holding opponents to 14 points or less in three consecutive games, and that's without Micah Parsons. Cisse and fellow rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton have looked like steals and first-round-caliber pickups over the first six weeks of the season, and they will only continue to get better with more reps.
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