GREEN BAY − One of the more memorable images of the 2026 NFL Draft, was the emotion from Brandon Cisse when it was announced he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers.
That passion and raw potential are big reasons the Packers took a chance on the 20-year-old cornerback with a second-round draft pick.
The tears flowing down Cisse’s face were from achieving his dream of making it to the NFL, and for the chance to play in an organization for which he has personal connections.
Before checking off the box of his NFL dream, Cisse was able to accomplish another feat by playing for his home state team, the University of South Carolina.
While he was there for only one season, those around the program could feel his impact.
To gain more insights into the Packers’ draft pick, we talked with Lulu Kesin, South Carolina football beat writer for The Greenville News.
From watching Brandon Cisse play, what would you say were his biggest strengths?
Kesin: “The biggest thing people talk about is his athleticism, but I think for any player that comes in and succeeds in one year in the SEC is pretty impressive. Obviously, NC State gave him some high-level experience, but I think the physicality (of the SEC), he didn’t seem fazed by anything. He’s a really good tackler. He’s incredibly smart. His IQ is off the charts. You recognize it watching him, and then that’s something that the coaches were always sort of stressing, was his IQ. I think the biggest thing is when you look at someone − he’s unafraid, he’s really smart, he’s athletic. He came in and made an impact in a short amount of time. And I think that when you’re looking at somebody that’s looking to do something, even if it’s something small as a rookie in the NFL, like being able to kind of pop into a defensive system, like what he did in the SEC. There’s positive signs for what’s ahead.”
Cisse had just two interceptions in three seasons and one in two years as a starter. What were your observations of his playmaking ability and potential?
Kesin: “That’s honestly something that I was writing about for my draft coverage. I kind of said that’s a weakness, if you’re looking at just stats. He doesn’t have a ton of interceptions, but there’s a couple [plays] like the Kentucky game that kind of sticks out. He had this one play where the poor Kentucky quarterback was a backup, and he just got hammered on a throw and so it was a weak downfield pass. But Brandon leaped up through a crowd, tracked it beautifully, and brought it down. That sort of felt like a play where he almost gained confidence doing that, because before he [almost] made a really great interception, but just the second he hit the ground, he lost the ball. So, I think it’s a valid concern, but he’s always been in the right place. It’s sort of the last second securing the ball.
“I remember coaches were kind of saying that of Nick Emmanwori when he first got to South Carolina. He could do absolutely everything, but he was almost so excited and so athletic that when he would go to complete an actual interception, he couldn’t always hold on to it because he was going so fast. I think with Brandon, it’s a little bit different on the actual technicality standpoint, but I think when it comes to why he isn’t necessarily securing − I don’t want to sit here and say he has bad hands or he can’t catch, but he’s always in the right place. And if he is breaking up the play, it’s clean. He isn’t drawing penalties. I think there’s two sides of it. He’s in the right place. There’s been instances where he hasn’t followed it completely through. But I do think it’s always valid to point out this is probably a place where Green Bay really wants him to improve over the summer.”
Cisse’s emotions when he was drafted and hearing coaches talk about his passion for the game stood out. Is that the type of player the Packers are getting?
Kesin: “1,000%. On a personal level, he’s an incredibly nice person, really kind of somebody that likes to give his perspective. I never fault a college kid for being shy when it comes to talking to the media, but you can definitely tell when somebody is kind of willing and able to vocalize what they saw on the field in a certain instance. Football players don’t have a ton of free time when they’re in college, but even in his free time, he used to go and watch high school recruits that South Carolina was recruiting, and he would grade them and help coaches. He just loves football, but clearly loves being part of a football community, atmosphere and team, and is always willing to sort of help and lead or listen.
“Looking at South Carolina, their secondary was pretty veteran filled. They had Jalon Kilgore, they had the DQ Smith, they had the players that had been here a couple years. But then they also had some really young linebackers, and young people all around on offense, and I think that Cisse sort of recognized where his leadership place is. Exactly to that point, the passion was there. He was very, very encouraging on the field. He really walked that line between encouraging and staying level-headed, and working on the next play. He’s coming in as a cornerback, but he also wants to be able to be thrown in at nickel [slot]. He cross-trained doing that with South Carolina. He would walk through at practice at the nickel spot, and when anything was game tempo, he was playing corner.
“We talk about the athleticism, but the versatility and IQ, he sees the game from every position. That’s something that the defensive coordinator [Clayton White] always used to tell me, he can understand all positions on the field, offense and defense. I think that’s sort of rare and very helpful when you have somebody that is looking to make an impact. Whether that’s in year one or year five, he’s somebody that has shown quick thinking, a very high IQ and desire to do a lot and help out a team. Personally, I was super excited to see all his emotion, that was a really beautiful thing, but I’m not surprised given how he carries himself. He’s a kind person, and there’s been a lot of that passion shown on the field, for sure.”
This article originally appeared on Packers News: South Carolina reporter offers insights on Packers draft pick Brandon Cisse
Reporting by Dominique Yates, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Packers News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
