With their first pick in the NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers addressed their biggest need on the roster by selecting South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse in the second round.

The 20-year-old defensive back is a highly gifted athlete with plenty of room for growth. After playing two years in a rotational role at NC State, Cisse transferred to South Carolina, his dream school, and started all 12 games as a junior.

The 6-foot, 190-pound corner recorded 27 tackles, five pass breakups, and an interception in 2025, emerging as one of the top coverage players in the SEC. As.a one-year starter, he never allowed more than three receptions in a game, and he only had one contest where he allowed more than 100 yards, which came against Texas A&M standout KC Concepcion.

When the Packers were on the clock Friday night with the 52nd pick, they could have gone in many different directions. Fan-favorites, like Domonique Orange, Gabe Jacas, or CJ Allen were all still available and could have helped them bolster their front seven. However, Green Bay decided to prioritize corner, which makes sense considering Keisean Nixon is entering the last year of his contract and Carrington Valentine has been very inconsistent in his young career.

Even with the signing of veteran Benjamin St-Juste, the Cisse selection makes sense because it helps insure their future at the position. In a year, Nixon, Valentine, and St-Juste could all be out the door, so the selections of Cisse and Domani Jackson give them young talent to develop in the secondary.

After watching several of Cisse's games from last season, here is what I believe he brings to the field for the Packers defense.

Traits to Love and What Cisse Brings to the Packers

1. Willing Run Defender

Cisse is a physical defensive back who isn't afraid to stick his nose in the action. He certainly doesn't shy away from contact. It's easy to love how he screams downhill to make a tackle, or how he will shoot a gap to provide run support. While he will miss at times, he is still a very reliable tackler in the open field. He does a great job sealing the edge, particularly in short yardage situations or when an offense has closed set with a tight end. This makes him a reliable force player that doesn't allow runs to bounce outside and get to the perimeter. 

There is a great example of this in the Missouri game. The Tigers offense was inside the red zone late in the fourth quarter and using a three-tight end set on first down. Because there wasn't a wide receiver, Cisse condensed his alignment and became the outside force player. The offense tried to run a wide zone in his direction, but he screamed downhill, slipped the reach block, and tackled the back behind the line of scrimmage. Two plays later, Missouri tried an end-around to the wide receiver on third-and-long, but Cisse stayed home on the backside of the play and tackled the wideout in the open field for a loss. It was a big stop because it forced the Tigers to kick a field goal late in the fourth quarter in a one-score game.

2. Click and Close Speed

Cisse processes plays very quickly, especially for how young of a player he is, but he also possesses the quick acceleration to close ground and break on the ball. This aides him when providing run support on the perimeter, but it also makes him an effective pass defender in zone coverage. He does a great job when dropping in zone keeping his eyes on the quarterback and breaking on the ball once the quarterback releases it. Cisse is very effective playing underneath routes, whether that is securing the stop or batting down the pass on slants, curls, or digs.

One play that comes to mind of this is from his sophomore season at NC State, where the Wolfpack was playing Northern Illinois. The offense was in the red zone early in the game, looking for their first score. Cisse dropped in the flat in what appears to be a Cover 2 look. The pass was thrown to a tight end who was running a crosser, and Cisse closed ground downhill, lowered his shoulder, and immediately popped him, stopping him dead in his tracks.

3. Dependable Deep Ball Defender

Cisse was rarely beat deep last season. He shows an ability to flip his hips and stay step-for-step with receivers running downfield. His 4.41 speed helps in this regard, but he also possesses smooth change of direction. His fluid hips and route awareness make it difficult for wideouts to gain separation from him. He also uses his size well and physicality to break up passes on jump balls. He doesn't let bigger receivers box him out and high point the ball.

The one exception to this is the Texas A&M game, which was probably Cisse's worst performance last year. KC Concepcion caught a deep ball over the middle of the field on Cisse. Cisse stayed step-for-step with the talented receiver but was too late to turn and locate the ball. To his credit, Concepcion made an impressive over-the-shoulder catch with a defender draped over him.

4. High Football IQ

Packers scouts and coaches have already touted Cisse for being a film junkie and loving the game of football. This certainly shows up in his film. He has a great feel for reading route progressions and anticipating where the quarterback is going with the ball. Some people would call this "instincts," but it actually reflects detailed preparation and understanding of the game. There are numerous examples in Cisse's film where he drops in zone, reads the quarterback's eyes, and correctly breaks on a pass, even if it wasn't his initial responsibility.

This happened in the Ole Miss game. Cisse broke out of his coverage to deflect a pass in the back of the end zone. A similar progression happened in the Virginia Tech game. With the offense in the red zone,  they called a flood concept out of a bunch set on third-and-long. Cisse initially covered the flat as a receiver ran a quick out. However, Cisse read the quarterback's eyes, which were looking downfield, and Cisse flipped his hips to drop deeper in his zone and broke up the pass on a corner route. This demonstrated his understanding of the situation, but also his ability to quickly read and react to the play. It's these game instincts that make him a very exciting and promising player.

Areas of Improvement for the Next Level

1. Bites on Underneath Routes at Times

Cisse's aggressive downhill playing style can get the best of him at times. He can be a bit too eager to bite on underneath routes, which makes him susceptible to fakes or double moves. There are some examples on his film where he breaks out of his zone to make a play on the ball, but in doing so, leaves a man go free behind him. This happened late in the Ole Miss game and led to allowing a catch in the Alabama game. The hope is that as he develops he will become more disciplined, especially when dropping in zone.

2. Clean Up the Little Things

Cisse is a highly talented player with a lot of promise, but his game is still raw. There are plenty of areas he could still improve. While he's physical, he can be an inconsistent tackler, sacrificing sound technique to lay a big hit, which can lead to misses. He is physical in coverage, but this can also lead to pass interference penalties because he can revert to grabbing receivers when the ball is in the air. He plays fast, which is great, but he can also be too eager to break on the ball, which can lead to falling for fakes or double moves. And while he has the speed to stick with receivers downfield, he also needs to work on his ball awareness and getting his head turned around so he can make a play on the pass. He only recorded two interceptions in college.

Realistic Expectations

Despite being so young as he begins his NFL career, Cisse could begin his rookie season already as the Packers' second-best corner on the roster. St-Juste may contend with him for the starting spot opposite of Nixon, but it wouldn't be surprising if Cisse begins training camp already ahead of Valentine on the depth chart. Cisse is one player from the rookie class that has the potential to make an immediate impact. However, in the very least, even if he is just a depth piece in his first year, he gives Green Bay the flexibility to move off of Valentien or Nixon in 2027.