The Green Bay Packers need a new household name at cornerback now that the team has moved on from Jaire Alexander. Brandon Cisse is the perfect person to step into the role as the top cornerback, according to Wynston Wilcox of Fansided.
Wilcox notes that Cisse can eventually be a household name, but he is not entering the NFL with the same reputation.
“Remember all the hype Jaire Alexander had when he was first drafted and how he lived up to it,” questioned Wilcox. “Brandon Cisse is the opposite in terms of a hidden gem no one is hyping up who will turn into an elite corner. Green Bay needed to find their replacement in the cornerback room for Alexander and Cisse will be that guy.”
Alexander was a first-round pick who was selected 18th overall in the 2018 NFL draft. He was known as a loud cornerback going back to his days at Louisville, so all eyes were on him from day one.
So, while Cisse is a second-round pick, it is not coming with the same expectations or hype. It is allowing him to progress slowly, but does not shut the door on Cisse making an immediate impact.
The Green Bay Packers Hope for Brandon Cisse to be a Household Name
GettyBrandon Cisse #2 of the Green Bay Packers
The biggest reason that Cisse can make a year-one impact is that the cornerback room is ambiguous right now. Last year, Carrington Valentine and Keisean Nixon started for the team. However, both enter the year with their status in flux.
Nixon moved from the slot to the outside and was not as good. However, the Packers are now set in the slot, so he is not going back. On top of that, Nixon is threatening to hold out because of his contract situation. That might give Cisse a chance to work with the first team in training camp.
However, Nixon is the least of their concerns. Carrington Valentine has found his way into the starting lineup in each of the past three seasons. He has been a successful pick as a former seventh-round selection. However, he struggled last year, and the team does not see him in their long-term plans.
Green Bay signed Benjamin St-Juste to compete with Valentine and Cisse as well. Still, of all four of the Packers’ outside cornerbacks, they want Cisse to succeed the most. So, once he can get on the field, he is going to get that chance.
Packers Are High On Brandon Cisse
Cisse started his college career at North Carolina State. He played minimally as a freshman, but was a starter in his second year. That led to him transferring to South Carolina. This is when the draft talk started to pick up for Cisse.
He had his best year yet and entered the draft as an underclassman. Cisse performed well at the NFL combine as well. He brought a good combination of size, length, and athletic potential.
The combination of being a young, productive starter from an SEC school with the physical measurables that match what the NFL looks for was enough to get him selected 52nd overall in the 2026 NFL draft.
Cisse is still a bit raw, which is why he fell to that point. That is also why the Packers are not handing him a starting job. However, the expectation is that he is going to be a starter by the end of his rookie season.
Packers Defender Earns Lofty Rookie Comparison