Packers rookie CB Brandon Cisse quietly reveals why Green Bay was so high on him at draft time
Young cornerback has the football knowledge and the physical talent to become a high-level player for Green Bay.
The Green Bay Packers drafted cornerback Brandon Cisse in the second round this year, and the rookie is already showing why the front office valued him so highly. Without a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Packers treated their second-round selection with first-round urgency, targeting a premium position with a high-ceiling prospect.
A recent team-produced video gave fans a window into the 21-year-old’s football IQ and competitive mentality, two traits that help explain general manager Brian Gutekunst’s conviction.
Football IQ is obvious
The Packers released an installment of their YouTube series in which players answer frequently Googled questions about themselves. Cisse fielded two questions that stood out: why he chose to wear No. 2 and which NFL cornerback he models his game after.
On his jersey number, Cisse kept it simple, but it goes back to a Packers legend to some extent.
“If you guys know Charles Woodson in the Rose Bowl, he had the roses in his mouth and wore No. 2,” Cisse said. “I’ve always been a fan of his game, and I always liked No. 2, so that’s kind of why I wear it.”
The more revealing answer came when he discussed his on-field influences.
“Well, I have four. First, and it starts with probably my mentor and best friend, Stephon Gilmore. Two would probably have to be Charles Woodson, the Hall of Famer. Three, Champ Bailey. Four, I’d have to go with either Darius Slay or Darrelle Revis.”
Rattling off cornerbacks with decorated NFL careers shows a deep understanding of the position’s history. That type of football awareness matters to the Packers’ coaching staff and front office, because it signals a player who studies the game beyond his own film sessions.
Green Bay has consistently prioritized young, athletic cornerbacks with room to grow under its development system. Cisse fits that mold. He turned 21 roughly two months after the draft, making him one of the youngest players in his class. The raw physical tools are obvious, but Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur also want players who chase greatness on their own.
Cisse’s desire to model his game after elite corners suggests he approaches preparation with the kind of seriousness the Packers reward with playing time. A player who wants to study the best and measure himself against them is the type of profile Green Bay looks for when investing premium draft capital at cornerback.
The financial upside
Because Green Bay selected Cisse late in the second round, his rookie deal is team-friendly. He signed a four-year, $9.364 million contract with a rookie-year cap hit of only $1.7 million. If Cisse develops into a high-level starter, the Packers will generate significant surplus value at a position where veteran contracts routinely exceed $20 million per year.
Cisse still has to prove it on the field, and development at cornerback rarely happens overnight. But the early indicators point in the right direction.
That financial math is part of why the Packers approached this pick the way they did. Without a first-rounder, the margin for error was smaller, but the potential payoff of hitting on a cost-controlled cornerback is enormous.