Syracuse Players React to Andre Cisco Entering NFL Draft
The announcement comes just one day after Syracuse head coach Dino Babers confirmed that Cisco would be sidelined for the remainder of the year.
The preseason All-American was a late scratch prior to the Orange’s week two match-up against Georgia Tech. In the moments before kickoff, Cisco sustained a lower body injury after colliding with a teammate during warm-ups. The injury was evidently serious enough to require surgery, which Cisco underwent Tuesday morning, according to Syracuse.com.
Pro Football Focus has Cisco as their third ranked safety in the 2021 class.
The Draft Network projects the nation’s active interceptions leader as potentially being a top 50 pick. Here’s their evaluation of Cisco’s strengths as an NFL prospect:
PROS: Elite ball production and the ball finds him. Led ACC in interceptions in 2018 and 2019 - enters 2020 as the FBS current leader in interceptions (12) and second in passes defended per game (1.27). He attacks the football in the air when he’s challenged and has secure mitts to take away the football. Does well to rake and attack the football as a tackler. Terrific size and build for the position. Best moments come when he is playing robber technique and buzzes down. Hips are fluid and his feet are springy.
Three Syracuse players were made available to the media just as word of Cisco’s announcement started to spread. DE Kingsley Jonathan, OL Chris Elmore, and CB Ifeatu Melifonwu were first to share their immediate reactions to the news.
DE Kingsley Jonathan
"There's no other safety I'd rather play with on the field than Cisco, and he puts in the work. He's here early and he's the last person to leave. He's been putting working in since his first day here. I'm so excited for him and I'm glad to see what he does next from here."
OL Chris Elmore
"He definitely was different. Having practices at 6 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and seeing him Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays in there by himself, working his craft and getting extra film in to make sure that he knows the play. Him coming in and starting as a true freshman, you just see that everything was right in him.
"That dude, he's a workhorse, too. That guy, he's up before everybody. He's in a training room when he doesn't need to be in the training room and takes care of his body. He's a guy that you want guys to look up to. He's always in the film room breaking stuff down. He's a guy who, if somebody has a question, he's always got the answer for it. He's just a really good leader and I definitely feel like he's he's got a chance to go high in the draft.
"Having him for a teammate was definitely a big plus for us. He's even a better guy. You might hang out with Cisco off the field. It's kudos to him that he made a man decision, and I'm sure he talked over with his family and he felt that that was the best decision for him. And I'm happy for him and hope to see him playing on Sundays."
CB Ifeatu Melifonwu
"I'm happy for him. It would be a really selfish of me to want him to come back, you know what I mean? That's the decision he made. I respect it. I'm happy for him. I'm excited. It's something he's been thinking about for a while and wanted to do, so I'm really happy for him.
"There's more comfort when you can look to your to your left or look to your right and see your starting safety back there. You see your friend, one of your close friends back there. It's a different feel. It doesn't change anything playing wise, but it's just a different feel. Mostly, I'll just miss him in the locker room and doing stuff outside of football."
Cisco finishes his Syracuse career with 136 tackles, 14 passes defensed and 13 interceptions. His 13 picks, which earned him the moniker ‘Pick Cisco’, ranks him fourth all-time in school history.
