Boundary cornerback was among the Green Bay Packers' most pressing needs entering the 2026 NFL Draft. After only two players went at that spot in Round 1, there was a good chance the Pack would see a quality prospect fall to them at No. 52 overall during Friday's second round.
And that's exactly how things appear to have played out. South Carolina's Brandon Cisse boasts some of the best pure man coverage skills of any defensive back in this year's class, and Green Bay should see Cisse only continue to improve, as he only turns 21 in July.
One expert's pre-draft take on Cisse is further proof that the Packers made the right pick to headline their incoming rookie class.
Packers fans should look forward to Brandon Cisse's enviable blend of speed, instincts & technique in the secondary
FanSided's Mike Luciano gave an excellent pre-draft breakdown of Cisse's strengths and weaknesses. All indications are that the South Carolina product will be a great fit in Green Bay:
"Cisse needs to go to a team with a great defensive backs coach, as this hypothetical leader can iron some of his overaggression in run defense out of him. With regard to the pure act of locking up one receiver in coverage, Cisse is equaled by few in this class, as he matches blazing speed and technical brilliance with some keen instincts and a tireless motor."
After playing two seasons at NC State, Cisse made the jump to the SEC for the Gamecocks in 2025 and more than lived up to the hype. He allowed only a 47.4% completion rate and a 78.9 passer rating, in addition to posting a strong 89.2 PFF run defense grade.
Luciano is correct in suggesting that Cisse can get a little too eager in run support, as he registered a 14.3% missed tackle rate last season. However, the fact that advanced metrics still regarded him so well in that department shows that Cisse does indeed have the keen instincts to be in the right positions to make plays far more often than not.
You'll be hard-pressed to find a scouting department and coaching staff in better lockstep than the Packers when it comes to successfully drafting and developing players. Green Bay is an ideal landing spot for the youthful Cisse, and the Pack's loaded defensive backfield should only help him adjust to the NFL's steep learning curve.
New Cheeseheads defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon now has an intriguing piece to his cornerback corps not only for 2026, but well into the future. And that's the other big positive of Cisse's arrival, as incumbent Packers corners Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine are due for free agency in 2027.
Nixon should still be in place as a starter for this year, but Cisse figures to push Valentine for that boundary CB2 spot. Between that trio, nickelback Javon Bullard, and safeties Evan Williams and Xavier McKinnley, this Packers secondary is looking stout as can be on paper.
We'll see how everything jells together now in Gannon's first year at the helm. Once Micah Parsons returns to ignite the Packers' pass rush, that should only make Cisse even more of a success.
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