The Green Bay Packers entered teh 2026 NFL Draft in a tough spot. They sent their first-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in the Micah Parsons trade, and moving up and into Day 1 of the event would've come at an astronomical price.
Even so, they were fortunate enough to have Brandon Cisse fall to their laps at No. 52. The South Carolina standout was projected to be one of the first cornerbacks off the board, with some mocks even having him as a late-first-round pick.
The Packers have usually been patient with their rookies, sometimes to a fault. This time, Carrington Valentine's injury and their lack of depth at cornerback forced them to change their approach. According to Sports Illustrated's Bill Huber, that change might now be permanent.
Brandon Cisse could start for the Packers
"Following a promising offseason, Cisse figured to get his shot with the starters at some point in training camp. When Carrington Valentine suffered a hamstring injury early in the fourth practice, Cisse got his opportunity. Even when Valentine is fully back at practice – he took part in individual drills on Tuesday – Cisse has earned the right to stay in the lineup," Worte Huber.
The Packers didn't roll with Jaire Alexander or Eric Stokes as starters during their rookie season. They were both first-round picks with All-Pro potential, yet they still took things one day at a time with them.
They probably can't afford to be as patient with Cisse.
Valentine was one of the team's weakest links last season. He entered training camp as a potential cut candidate, and watching a second-round rookie who was clearly a bit raw take his starting spot should be alarming enough.
The Packers signed Benjamin St-Juste in the offseason, and he was already a major threat to take Valentine's starting spot. If Cisse is as far ahead of schedule as it seems, there's not much incentive to keep the ever-struggling Valentine in town, as he doesn't even provide special teams value.
This team has arguably the best safety unit in the game. They can have a shutdown secondary if they take care of their well-documented cornerback issues, even with Keisean Nixon also looking like a liability near the end zone.
Coach LaFleur hinted at playing the starters extensively in the preseason, claiming the team has usually fared better when it has had opportunities to clean up its act and mesh. If Cisse gets a long leash, it might indicate he's trending in the right direction.
As for Valentine, the Packers can save $3.674 million in cap space by making him a roster-cut day casualty, according to Over The Cap.
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