How Does Second-Round Draft Pick Brandon Cisse Fit In Packers Defense?

The Green Bay Packers are on the board in the NFL Draft.

After watching a run on defensive tackles and some of the cornerbacks that were available at the beginning of the day, general manager Brian Gutekunst selected a player from the position of arguably the team’s biggest need.

Instead of moving around the board, the Packers liked where they stood on the draft board and, with the 52nd overall pick of the second round, took a player who has a family full of Packers fans, South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse.

“My girlfriend’s family is huge Packers fans from Wisconsin,” Cisse said in a Zoom call with reporters. “Just historic tradition, Cheesehead, Go Pack Go, very loud stadium Lambeau Field. Know a lot, been watching for a long time and, obviously, Keisean Nixon is there.”

Nixon spent his college career at South Carolina. Now, Nixon will welcome Cisse to Green Bay – and perhaps have to fight to keep him out of the lineup.

Here’s a look at how he fits and some of the other options that were available when the Packers were on the clock.

How Brandon Cisse Fits

Brian Gutekunst said the Packers were going to add numbers to the cornerback position. Frankly, he did not have much of a choice. Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine are both scheduled to ply on expiring deals. The appetite for giving another contract to either one of those players is likely tepid at best.

Adding Cisse gives the Packers a long-term solution at the position with the size they prefer and NFL speed. Cisse measured 5-foot-11 3/4 and 189 pounds at the Scouting Combine. He ran his 40 in 4.41 seconds at pro day.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler said Cisse is an “explosive athlete” who can “fly to the football.”

He added: “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.”

Where is he going to play for Green Bay? For now, Cisse is saying all the right things, with a willingness to move all around the defense.

“Just a player that can play everywhere – play, fast, physical, relentless,” Cisse said. “Be a student of a game and looking to contribute any way they want me to contribute and give the organization everything I have.”

More likely, Cisse will challenge Nixon, Valentine and free-agent addition Benjamin St-Juste for a starting job on the perimeter.

Potential Concerns?

The Packers’ cornerback room last season was unable to take away the football. Nixon had the only interception during the regular season and Valentine added one in the playoffs. And that was it.

Cisse had mediocre ball production in college with 12 pass breakups in three years and just two interceptions.

“He has good ball skills,” Packers national scout Mike Owen said. “When you go to practice, you pay attention to that stuff, see how they catch it, but you see game clips. Do they attack the football? He’s aggressive with his hand combat, jarring the ball loose.”

Like Owen, Cisse thinks that he will be able to shake off some of the concerns about his ball skills and make more plays at the next level.

“Just taking advantage of opportunities that come and making guys pay,” Cisse said. “It’s something that I look forward to showcasing, and I’m excited to see where it goes. I’m just excited to show everyone that I can make those kind of plays so just taking full advantage of every opportunity.”

Of course, having Micah Parsons on his team makes those opportunities come fast. Parsons famously told his team last year that he had never played without an All-Pro cornerback. With his ability to rush the passer, Cisse could find an opportunity to make more plays on the ball early in his career.

“That’s going to be special for me knowing that I have somebody that can get after the passer like that and change games,” Cisse said.

“I know he’s going to help me and I’m going to help him, do everything I can to make the quarterback pat the ball and let him get home, so do everything in my power to help me and I know he’s going to help me just as much.”

The Packers do not simply value coverage in their cornerbacks, but they are looking for physical cornerbacks who can fit in the run game. Cisse certainly fits the bill there.

“I pride myself on being able to put myself in the fit,” Cisse said. “That’s something I love showcasing in my game is being able to be a complete corner, I pride myself in being able to come up in the fit and make plays.”

What Else Could They Have Done?

When the night started, Gutekunst may have wanted to add a defensive lineman to his front, but he saw Georgia’s Christen Miller and Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter get taken before the Packers were on the clock at No. 52. The Packers could have made a small move up the board to get Hunter but, ultimately, did not.

When the Packers were on the clock, another option at cornerback could have been Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy. McCoy was considered a first-round talent, but has fallen in the draft due to injury concerns.

At defensive tackle, Iowa State’s Dominique Orange was available, so the Packers could still look to address their defensive line later in the draft.

Had they wanted to go on offense, Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon was available on the offensive line, as were receivers Ted Hurst and Chris Brazzell, both of whom are tall speedsters who had predraft visits.

Ultimately, their first pick came at their biggest need, which should be the first of multiple cornerbacks to join the Packers this weekend.

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