The Green Bay Packers entered the draft with a bang on Friday night, selecting South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse with their top pick at No. 52 overall.
Cisse will shake up the cornerback depth chart and could start instantly in Jonathan Gannon's defense. San Diego State's Chris Johnson was undoubtedly this year's draft crush among Packers fans, so Cisse may have slipped under the radar.
Allow South Carolina Gamecocks expert Morgan Moriarity to change that. Moriarity covers the team for Garnet and Cocky and believes Cisse has star potential in the NFL.
"Brandon Cisse spent just one season at South Carolina, a year that saw the Gamecocks go 4-8. But he had one of the most productive seasons of his career in Columbia, finishing with 27 total stops with a forced fumble and interception. He started his collegiate career at NC State, and will have the opportunity to grow into a lockdown corner in the league if he gets a shot," Moriarity writes.
Brandon Cisse can 'grow into a lockdown corner' with the Packers
Cisse will undoubtedly get that opportunity in Green Bay.
While he will need some development to take his game to the next level, Cisse is still only 20 years old. The sky is the limit. Moriarity is 100 percent correct that, in time, Cisse can become a lockdown corner.
He won't need to wait long to play extensive snaps, either.
Keisean Nixon had an up-and-down season. He made some big-time plays, like the game-winning pick over the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field, but he then got beaten for the game-losing touchdown against the same opponents two weeks later. It was that kind of season.
Carrington Valentine has the most to lose, and his starting job is now in serious jeopardy.
Cisse has the athleticism and speed to thrive in Gannon's system. He is also an excellent run defender, which will help him get on the field early in his career.
FanSided's Mike Luciano noted that Cisse "needs to go to a team with a great defensive backs coach" to unlock his full potential. It sure helps that Gannon has extensive experience as a defensive backs coach, and that secondary/pass game coordinator Bobby Babich is another highly regarded former defensive coordinator. Cisse has landed in a great spot.
Luciano had Cisse 37th on the FanSided big board, highlighting the Packers' great value in selecting him at No. 52 without trading up.
The Packers needed to find a potential game-changer in the secondary. Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, but the South Carolina product has the tools to become a lockdown corner.