The Green Bay Packers drafted South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse and Missouri defensive tackle Chris McClellan during Day 2 of the 2026 NFL draft. Members of the Packers front office, including general manager Brian Gutekunst, senior personnel executive Milt Hendrickson and scout Mike Owen, were on hand to provide break downs of the new draft picks.
A collection of quotes on Cisse and McClellan:
CB Brandon Cisse
Gutekunst: “He’s one of the few guys that can play off man, can play press. His suddenness through transition is something that stood out to us. He’s very young, we think his best football is ahead of him. We think he’s got so much left in the tank not only as a player but physically as well, he’ll get bigger and stronger…really like the fact that he took the step and went to South Carolina last year, better competition, and really showed well this past year.”
Gutekunst on Cisse being 20: “We’ve always tried to take guys that we think have more left in development. He played at a high level and we think he can help us next year and we think his upside is really good. There’s not a lot of 20-year-olds in the draft. We took one one time named Kenny Clark. That worked out pretty well. Hopefully, this works out that well. No hesitation.”
Gutekunst: “He’s almost six feet, good length, really good feet, excellent transition quickness, he can run, he’s very aggressive and competitive, that’s what drew us to him. Started at NC State, was a really good player there, transferred to South Carolina in the SEC and had a really good year there. He’s very young, but he’s a really good player now with a ton of upside.”
Gutekunst: “One of the youngest players in the draft, but very mature young man. Very, very intense. Football is very important to him, him being a great player is very important to him. We think he’s going to fit here within our culture.”
Gutekunst: “He can play off, he can play press, he’ll tackle.”
Owen: “Smart, tough, physical corner. Got good foot quickness, can run. A lot to like about him. And he’s wired right. That’s the biggest thing, at the end of the day.”
Owen on ball skills: “I thought he had good ball skills. You see the game clips, he attacks the football, he’s aggressive with his hand combat. Jarring ball loose. Picks are picks, but if you can jar the ball out, not give the receiver a completion, that’s what you want…sometimes you just won’t get the opportunities, if you’re a good player, they might target the other side.”
Owen on chip on his shoulder: “You can feel the chip on his shoulder when you talk to him. About getting overlooked at South Carolina, coming full circle, then really helped his team and that defense get to another level. You can tell he still has that chip on his shoulder.”
Hendrickson: “He desperately wanted to be a Green Bay Packer…his play style. He’s willing to tackle, he can cover, he can put his hands on people, just another guy who needs football.”
DL Chris McClellan
Gutekunst: “He played in the SEC. He’s a huge man. Has excellent length. I think for me, the combination of being able to play the nose, the three, and actually rush the passer. There’s a lot of these guys that don’t do that. He can. And that set him apart a little bit for us.”
Gutekunst: “First of all, 6-4, 315 pounds. Can stop the run, he holds his ground very, very well. Very good pass rusher, can play up and down the line. Very versatile, which we like very much. Played in the SEC. Young player, proven already at a very high level at college. He’s going to be a good fit here.”
Gutekunst: “Plays hard, played a lot snaps. Up over 67 percent. And he did everything. Not one of those guys who came off the field a lot on third down, played a lot, and he can rush the passer. Tremendous upside.”
Hendrickson: “Really checked a lot of boxes since the middle of the season through the all-star process. A guy, the more you watched, the more he grew on you…Big man, good length, he’s got a really good tag. He can do a lot of things, a lot of versatility he’ll be able to bring our defense.”
Hendrickson: “He certainly can (play the nose). The thing I like the most about Chris is the versatility. He can play the nose, he can play the three, in some of base, he can play the big end stuff. Even though he’s four years in college, he’s just scratching the surface.”
Hendrickson on disruptive ability: “It’s partly his length, but he’s got a really good first step, and he’s got a disruptive way about him when he presses an edge, he’s hard to handle.”
Hendrickson: “One of the biggest things that stood out about Chris, was every time you turned on SEC offenses, and they were playing against Missouri, you always saw this guy out there, and I’m like, ‘Who is that? Oh, there he is.'”
Hendrickson on McClellan’s 11-inch hands: “When he gets his hands on people, he’s able to create separation. And then move people. There’s no doubt. It’s one of his assets.”
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: They said it: Packers talk CB Brandon Cisse, DL Chris McClellan
Reporting by Zach Kruse, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
