South Carolina Gamecocks cornerback Brandon Cisse didn’t have to wait too long to hear his name called on Friday night of the 2026 NFL Draft. He entered the second round ranked No. 12 overall on ESPN’s best remaining overall prospects, and the Green Bay Packers took notice, drafting him with the No. 52 overall pick in the third round.
Cisse, a native of Sumter, S.C., started his career at NC State for two seasons before transferring to South Carolina for 2025. During the spring football season with the Gamecocks, he was named the spring newcomer of the year.
Although South Carolina finished with a tough 4-8 record in 2026, Cisse had a solid season in Columbia. He finished the year with 27 total tackles including a career-high 19 solo stops with five passes defended and an interception.
Across his three seasons in college, he racked up 65 tackles and 10 pass breakups with two interceptions.
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month, Cisse finished fourth overall amongst all cornerbacks with a 41-inch vertical, and a 10’11’’ broad jump. At his Pro Day in Columbia, he ran a lightning-fast 4.40 40, which would have tied him for third fastest among the cornerbacks group in Indy.
With the Packers, Cisse will step into a talented secondary room in Green Bay. It features starting cornerbacks Carrington Valentine and Keisan Nixon from last season, as well as talented safety Xavier McKinney. The defense also includes star EDGE rusher Micah Parsons.
While Cisse won't be a guaranteed starter on Day 1 in Green Bay, he has the talent and experience to get some reps early in his career. Not to mention Nixon and Valentine are both entering the last years of their contracts entering this season, so Cisse could be Green Bay's new No. 1 cornerback as early as 2027.
Cisse will also get the opportunity to learn under new Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, the former Arizona Cardinals head coach. Gannon will have a hands-on approach in the secondary, as he played safety in high school and at Louisville before a career-ending injury ended his career.
His stint in Arizona didn't end well, finishing with a 15-36 overall record over three seasons. But prior to getting the Cardinals job, he produced some of the Philadelphia Eagles' most elite defenses over two seasons. Philadelphia had a top-10 defense during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, with his defenses ranking second in total defense in 2022 (301.5 yards per game) and first in pass defense (179.8 ypg).
Between 2021-22, the Eagles ranked third in total defense (315.1 ypg) and third in pass defense (200.4 ypg). Gannon should love Cisse's physicality and quickness that will translate to his scheme right away.
Here’s ESPN’s scouting report on Cisse ahead of the draft, via Scout Inc.:
"Cisse can easily mirror releases and reroute receivers in press coverage. In short areas, he can get caught when trying to change directions against quicker, shiftier receivers. But in off coverage, he flashes the ability to make quick reads. Cisse has the length to break up passes from a trail position and the vertical explosion to compete for 50-50 balls. He does a good job of contorting and controlling his body to avoid contact with receivers, though he can grab at the top of routes. As a run defender, he does a good job of getting the ball carrier to the ground, though he misses some tackles by going for the ankles."
Coming out of high school, Cisse was a three-star prospect, ranked No. 7 overall out of his home state of South Carolina per the 247Sports Composite.
Green Bay fans should be pretty amped about this pick-up.
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