GREEN BAY — It was a long wait for the Green Bay Packers until their first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but their first pick at 52 in the second round on Day 2 finally came around on Friday night.
They selected South Carolina junior CB Brandon Cisse. The corner played two seasons at NC State before transferring to South Carolina. This past season, he had 6 passes defensed and one interception.
“A lot to like about Brandon Cisse. Smart, tough. Physical corner. Got good foot quickness and can run, so there’s a lot to like about him, and he’s wired right. That’s the biggest thing at the end of the day," said Packers national scout Mike Owen.
Here is The Athletic NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler’s scouting report:
"An explosive athlete, Cisse plays with excess burst and speed to fly to the football. He tends to declare his hips early and relies too heavily on his athleticism rather than his technique or anticipation, leading to coverage losses. When he finds the football, he is capable of impressive athletic feats to knock it away, but he needs to be more consistent with his body phasing to shrink catch windows. Despite needing to clean things up in the run game, his downhill toughness is great to see."
The selection gives the Packers some much-needed depth in the cornerback room.
Carrington Valentine and Keisean Nixon are scheduled to become free agents after next season.
