Ahead of the first preseason game of the year, one of the newest members of the Green Bay Packers is starting to settle into life in the pros.
Cornerback Brandon Cisse was selected with the 52nd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft out of the University of South Carolina.
In camp, he has impressed, largely in part to increased first-team reps as fellow CB Carrington Valentine has been dealing with an injury.
While the preseason can just be extra reps for veteran players, for guys like Cisse, it’s a proving ground.
He spoke to Seehafernews.com about how he’s gearing up for tonight’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cisse noted, “It’s definitely exciting, you know, but just stick to your training and your keys and make sure you’re on point with those things and, you know, just going out there and just having fun and being consistent.”
He also mentioned some of the more challenging things he’s faced when moving from the college game to the professional level.
“There’s always different challenges, but you learn the different kind of receiver as you’re going up against, the different kind of schemes, different kind of splits,” the rookie explained. “It’s a lot more condensed depending on how you’re playing. So, you just kind of get a feel for those things and understanding how to play different guys and understanding tempos.”
However, he also explained how a vet and a fellow defensive back like Xavier McKinney has been making that transition much easier.
“It’s been special, you know, to have somebody like that in the secondary. I think he’s made me a lot better player, just seeing things from his point of view,” Cisse remarked. “He’s obviously an elite ball player, but he has been very great to me, teaching me, helping me when I am messing up.”
As someone who’s been in Cisse’s shoes before, McKinney told us he’s very proud to be in his situation now, being able to impart some of his own wisdom to the younger guys, much like Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers did for him with the Giants.
“I take extreme pride in that. I’m a guy that’s focused on what I need to do, but also I want to see these guys have that same success that I’ve been able to have up until this point, because I know I was a young guy at one point, too, and I was trying to figure it out,” McKinney told us. “So, I always try to make sure that I’m doing whatever these guys need me to do.”
Another thing Cisse mentioned that has helped him settle in to his new home was his first introduction to the fans at Lambeau for Family Night last week.
“It was definitely very surreal,” he recalled. “You know, all the fans, it was a great experience being in Green Bay and nothing like it. Never seen anything like it so it was special being in Lambeau for the first time.”
But for Cisse and others who are fighting for roster spots, they finally get to go up against another team tonight in Pittsburgh when the Packers battle Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy, and the Steelers.
