The Green Bay Packers didn't own a first-round pick this year but still came away with six selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. The first pick of this class for Green Bay was cornerback Brandon Cisse. The secondary needed some more options added to the mix, and Cisse helps achieve that.
While Cisse has the necessary tools to excel at the next level, there's no guarantee he'll be a starter on Day 1, as he still needs some refinement in certain areas. With that being a known commodity, Carrington Valentine, Keisean Nixon, and Benjamin St-Juste may be given the chance to start the year, while Cisse continues to develop.
Brandon Cisse Isn’t a Clear Cut Starter for Packers
Cisse is a talented defender with explosive traits. He has a great burst and possesses the speed to fly to the football. Unfortunately, those gifts can lead Cisse to rely on his athleticism a bit too much, rather than using technique. The Athletic's Dane Brugler ranked him as the seventh-best corner and wrote in his breakdown, "He tends to declare his hips early and relies too heavily on his athleticism rather than his technique or anticipation, leading to coverage losses. When he finds the football, he is capable of impressive athletic feats to knock it away, but he needs to be more consistent with his body phasing to shrink catch windows. Despite needing to clean things up in the run game, his downhill toughness is great to see."
He also added that Cisse is an "unrefined, promising cover athlete with the twitched-up movements and speed to become an NFL starter. However, his pro ceiling will be determined by the development of his route recognition and ball skills."
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah had Cisse as his 43rd-ranked prospect on his big board and wrote, "He gave up some plays in the games I studied, but it appeared to be more of a focus issue than any physical limitation."
Jeremiah and Brugler's comments show that Cisse's problems aren't physical but more mental. The South Carolina product has room to grow, and that could force Green Bay to bring him along slowly as he continues to refine his skills.
In 34 collegiate games, Cisse logged 65 total tackles, 10 pass deflections, and two interceptions. He also has a 41" vertical jump, showing his ability to soar high for pass breakups and interceptions, but he needs some fine-tuning. The fact that Green Bay doesn't need him to start on Day 1 helps him and shows they could play the long game with Cisse.
With a new defensive staff led by Jonathan Gannon, Green Bay has its work cut out to get the most out of Cisse, but having the choice to keep him on the bench is massive and could pay dividends in his long-term outlook.
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