Rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse is a perfect fit for the Green Bay Packers' roster needs and culture. The second-rounder has already made a name for himself in offseason activities thanks to his athletic talent and hard-nosed work ethic. He looks like an immediate contributor, if not a starter.
The Packers are also a great fit for him. In particular, Cisse appreciates the tough, intense coaching style of defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, something he made clear during minicamp.
"It's been great. He's super tough on me, but that's something I embrace. He's tough love, and then when I do make plays, he's super excited," Cisse said. "He's going to get on me in the film room, he may cuss me out, but it's all out of love. He's just a great coach. I couldn't ask for somebody better, that's really invested in me."
With the combination of Cisse's natural talent and Gannon's all-out coaching, the Packers should be eager to see what progress he makes between now and the beginning of the season. The rookie DB couldn't have walked into a better opportunity to jumpstart his NFL career.
Brandon Cisse and Jonathan Gannon are an ideal pupil-teacher pairing
Cisse's own mindset makes him the perfect piece of clay for Gannon to work with. "Even when I am performing great, I still want to be critiqued on everything that I'm doing wrong, just because that's how I am," the rookie said.
In college, that relentless drive took him from North Carolina State in the ACC to a starter at South Carolina in the loaded SEC. Cisse blew scouts away before the draft, and the Packers were lucky to get him at No. 52 overall.
He has already impressed his quarterback. Asked whether he likes to test rookies in practice, Jordan Love said he tries to avoid throwing at Cisse, who quickly established himself as a ball-hawking threat.
While the SC product may have pulled into Green Bay on a runaway hype train, Gannon isn't interested in replaying his highlights. At least, not nearly so much as barking at him over his miscues.
"He's probably never going to show the good play," Cisse added wryly. "He's going to show all the other clips that I probably didn't have good footwork on or something like that. And that's what comes with it. I'm excited for somebody to challenge me like that."Â
That kind of coachable attitude is what every coordinator dreams of. These two should get along like peas in a pod.
It can only help that Gannon, hired to replace now-Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley, is able to relate to Cisse as a newcomer in the Packers organization. Gannon has had more time to assimilate, as well as a lot more experience in an NFL setting, but on some level, he and Cisse are both learning a new system.
The Green Bay DC already feels right at home. The Packers have given him the reins, and fans can't wait to see the schematic variety he brings to the team. It's his defense now, and Cisse is excited to be a part of it.
Of course, he would be the first one to tell you he still has lots to learn. He only just finished his first minicamp. He is nearing the conclusion of his first OTA period. Training camp and the preseason are still to come. With Gannon in charge, though, Cisse has just the right mentor to maximize his rookie potential.
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