Andre Cisco Sees 'Valuable Reps' During Jaguars OTAs
With one week of OTA’s in the books, new pieces of the defensive puzzle are getting their first chance to practice alongside each other and build crucial chemistry that will carry with them through the long season.
It is also a time for young players to step up and show that they have what it takes to be primary contributors. One player that is getting significantly more run so far is second-year safety Andre Cisco, who head coach Doug Pederson pointed out is "getting a lot of valuable reps this offseason,"
The 22-year-old Cisco finished his rookie campaign with 26 total tackles and 2 forced fumbles in 17 games. While he didn’t have a consistent role within the secondary he was able to make an impact in his limited snaps and showcase his potential as a future starter. The future appears to be now as head coach Doug Pederson is giving him all the run he can handle in practice.
“He’s really done a nice job this offseason coming in there,” Pederson said. “He’s a great communicator, just watching him with the defense and how he moves and how he fits. Again, it’s going to be really good for him once we do get the pads on and see his physicality and how he can play. He’s a really good football player for us and I’m excited to watch him during training camp.”
Cisco is making his presence known throughout the early portion of practice, flying around the field making plays, and showcasing his speed and physicality, traits that the coaching staff prioritizes as they want to maximize athletic potential and positional versatility. Even though the spring practices are not in full pads, Cisco is still fitting what coach Doug Pederson believes the defensive tempo is supposed to adhere to.
“Listen, it’s full speed, full speed drills,” Pederson said. “Again, because you’re not in pads, it’s really hard for the offensive and defensive lines to really kind of control the pace of play sometimes. It’s hard. It’s really hard, but at the same time, it’s sort of the fun of it, the competition of it, and really to see the competitive juices flowing a little bit out there on the practice field.
It is this competitive spirit and motivation that has earned Cisco his expanded opportunities thus far. It is up to him and the other young pieces on this Jags defense to consistently bring that intensity day in and day out to improve the prospects of the unit moving forward.
