Brandon Cisse Won't Solve One Thing For Green Bay's CB Group

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst couldn't resist the temptation of drafting a cornerback with great straight-line speed and an ideal frame in Round 2. Who can blame him?

While Brandon Cisse appears to have his best football in front of him and could develop into a stud at the position, there is one thing he won't solve for the cornerback room.

Green Bay is still missing a ballhawk.

The Packers had just 7 interceptions last year, ranking 28th in the NFL. Of those seven, only one came from the cornerback position. It was a critical one; Keisean Nixon picked off Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams in the end zone at Lambeau Field to clinch a win for the Packers.

While it was a great moment, the underlying lack of a ballhawk at cornerback stood out all year. Nixon had played 108 games across seven years. He hasn’t missed a single game in four years. He started all 17 contests in the regular season last year. And he has never had more than one interception in a season.

Across his three-year career, cornerback Carrington Valentine has missed just two games. He's logged 30 starts in 49 games total. Valentine has just two career interceptions, and both came in 2024. He had zero as a rookie in 2023 and zero last year as a starter.

Green Bay will be shuffling in veteran cornerback Benjamin St-Juste this year after sending Nate Hobbs packing after one dreadful season. St-Juste brings plenty to the table; intercepting passes is not one of them. In 70 career games and 47 starts over five years, St-Juste has a grand total of two interceptions.

The interception numbers — or lack thereof — for all three of Nixon, Valentine, and St-Juste are almost so ridiculous sounding that they don't seem true.

Nixon played 1,014 snaps last year (per PFF) and was targeted 82 times! One interception seems unfathomable. Meanwhile, Valentine played 780 snaps and was targeted 55 times without a single interception to show for it.

Brandon Cisse will be a welcome sight in a room that needs a boost. He may develop into a stout, reliable starting-caliber corner. Just don't expect many interceptions.

Cisse had just two interceptions in three seasons, two with North Carolina State and one with South Carolina.

Interestingly enough, Packers scout Mike Owen 

For what it's worth, Cisse had a combined 10 pass breakups the last two years. It's not a foregone conclusion that he won't add ballhawk to his long list of positive traits in the NFL. Still, not much from over three years of college suggests that's going to happen.

Perhaps, even after all the good Jeff Hafley did as defensive coordinator, Jonathan Gannon’s system will yield more interceptions. At the very least, the cornerbacks may have more opportunities to pluck one away from the opposing quarterback.

It's also entirely plausible that the Packers have a room full of decent cornerbacks who just aren't great at snagging the ball. The sample size with Nixon and St-Juste spans so far back that, regardless of team or scheme, it's safe to conclude that neither is going to suddenly become guys who get more than five picks in a given season. The jury is still out on Valentine three years in. Still, he’s trending in that same direction.

None of this should have Packers fans feeling down about the Cisse selection. With his near 6'0" frame, 4.41 40-yard dash time, and ability to play press-man coverage or drop back into zone, there's plenty to be excited about. If he develops the way the Packers hope, the good will significantly outweigh the not-so-good.

The Packers did a tremendous job of addressing a position of need while adding a player of high value to their own board in the second round. Brandon Cisse will be a breath of fresh air for the fans, who have been clamoring for Green Bay to invest more at cornerback. Just don't bank on him racking up eye-popping interception totals.