Only so much can be gleaned from a handful of practices in May and June, but Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur likes what he’s seen so far in terms of athleticism, attitude, effort and preparation from top draft pick Brandon Cisse.
“Until you get the pads, you never truly know,” LaFleur said Tuesday. “But in terms of just athletically, there’s no doubt he has the skill set. That was pretty evident I would say when he was coming out in the draft. Just the attitude, the effort, the preparation, the thing he’s in control of, he’s done an outstanding job. He had a great play yesterday as a cloud corner, so he’s doing a lot of good things.”
The Packers, who didn’t have a first-round pick but needed to address the cornerback position, took Cisse with the 52nd overall pick in the second round.
Rookies like Cisse are still taking baby steps in their first offseason workout program. They are learning the playbook, learning how to practice, learning how to be a pro. But earning praise in the “attitude, effort and preparation” departments is nonetheless a good sign for a young player, especially one who played only three seasons of college football and doesn’t turn 21 until July. Cisse appears to understand the idea of “control the controllables.”
While the depth chart might not matter during OTAs, Cisse took some reps with the first-team defense during Tuesday’s practice session — suggesting he’ll be competing to get on the field as a rookie despite the returning players at corner.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Matt LaFleur impressed with early looks at Packers rookie CB Brandon Cisse
Reporting by Zach Kruse, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
