Green Bay Packers second-round cornerback has won a starting job before Week 1 of his rookie season. Head coach Matt LaFleur called Cisse a football junkie when describing what it took for him to win the job.
“He’s hyper competitive; you can see that with every rep,” said LaFleur.
LaFleur noted that Cisse is always texting LaFleur away from practice to get more tips. LaFleur told a funny anecdote about the depth of questions that the rookie will ask the veteran head coach.
“I’ll get a random text from him, asking me who the top corners are in the league that we’ve gone against since my time in the league,” quipped LaFleur.
LaFleur added that Cisse is going out of his way to spend more time with defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, along with pass game coordinator Bobby Babich and cornerbacks coach Daniel Bullocks.
So, while it is what Cisse is doing on the field that is winning the job, his off-the-field actions are what is leading to this amount of success.
Green Bay Packers HC Matt LaFleur Praises Brandon Cisse
Cisse was recently named to the future hits list, written by Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. The list highlighted players who have not made impacts in the NFL yet, but look like surefire hits.
She talked to both an AFC and an NFC scout about his ability.
“Sticky man cornerback and exactly what their secondary needed,” an AFC scout told Rodrigue.
“LEGIT movement for a near-6-foot corner, even in a few preseason reps. Seems like he shored up a corner spot for them,” added an NFC scout.
Cisse entered a room with Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine as the returning starters. Benjamin St-Juste was signed to push Valentine. Then, Cisse was expected to be eased in as the fourth option. However, the rookie has impressed coaches every step of the way. Most would consider him the Packers’ best coverage cornerback already.
Cisse Draws Tough Matchup With Minnesota Vikings
Cisse will be mentally prepared and will see what the top cornerbacks have done. However, there is still not much you can do to prepare for what the Vikings can throw at you. They have Justin Jefferson, who is still regarded as one of the best receivers in the NFL when he gets going.
Jefferson has averaged 5.5 catches for 78.5 yards in his 11 games against the Packers. This will be quite the welcome into the NFL.
If Cisse is not aligned on Jefferson, it will be Jordan Addison. Addison is coming off of a down year. However, he still averaged 885 yards per season in his first three NFL seasons. Addison and Jefferson struggled due to the quarterback play last year. Now, the team has Kyler Murray, and things should be improved.
This will be a big challenge for the rookie in his first career NFL start. If Cisse proves he is ready it is a huge sign of things to come moving forward.
Matt LaFleur Reveals Why Packers Rookie Won Starting Job