The South Carolina Gamecocks don’t quite the same claim to the title of “DB U” as LSU or Ohio State. However, when a highly regarded defensive back comes out of South Carolina, it’s definitely worth paying attention.
This year, Brandon Cisse (pronounced SEE-say) is looking to take his place among Stefon Gilmore, Jaycee Horn, and Nick Emmanwori as great DBs to come out of South Carolina. Cisse doesn’t quite have the brutal physicality of Gilmore or Horn, nor does he have the freakish athletic traits of Emmanwori. That said, he’s an excellent athlete in his own right, and is also a very tough player and a willing run defender on the perimeter.
The New York Giants already have a pair of former first round draft picks vying for the starting job across from Paulson Adebo. But could they also eye Cisse if he happens to fall out of the first round?
Prospect: Brandon Cisse (15)
Games Watched: vs. LSU (2025), vs. Alabama (2025), vs. Texas A&M (2025), vs. Ole Miss (2025)
Red flags: Nagging injuries (Upper body, knee, undisclosed)
Measurables
Strengths
Best traits
- Athleticism
- Twitch
- Burst
- Coverage
- Run defense
- Competitive toughness
Brandon Cisse is an athletic, twitchy, versatile, and competitive cornerback prospect.
Cisse has the traits to execute both man and zone coverage schemes, giving him very good scheme versatility. He has very quick feet to go with fluid, oily hips, which allow him to be a very effective man cover corner. He has a physical jam in press-man coverage, playing with good technique to disrupt receivers at the start of their routes. At the same time, his feet and hips allow him to be sticky in coverage and stay with receivers throughout their routes. He has enough speed to run with most receivers down the field and the physicality to be disruptive at the catch point.
He also flashes quick processing and instinctive play in off-man or zone coverage, at times reacting to the pass before the quarterback even completes his throwing motion. Cisse’s athleticism allows him to quickly get depth on his zone drops, as well as close from range undercut receivers and make a play on the ball.
Cisse is a willing and competitive run defender who flashes a very quick downhill trigger when he correctly diagnoses the play. His athleticism allows him to take aggressive angles to the ball, while his burst makes for solid play strength when taking on blockers or ball carriers.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Health
- Eye discipline
- Length
There are a couple issues in Cisse’s game which could keep him out of the first round.
First and foremost, he lacks length as well as overall mass at 5-foot 11 ¾ inches, 189 pounds, and 30 ⅝ inch arms. That isn’t very undersized for the position, but it is below ideal and could knock him down teams draft boards slightly. Teams that place particular emphasis on length could look elsewhere. Likewise, he has small (8 ⅝ inch) hands, which could limit his ball production, particularly in bad-weather stadiums.
Cisse’s lack of mass can make dealing with bigger blockers or big receivers at the catch point problematic. That places greater emphasis on getting his timing correct to make the greatest use of his closing burst.
Cisse can also have issues with indecision and eye discipline in off or zone coverage. There are a few too many instances where he’s skating in zone coverage and apparently unsure about where the play will go. That, in turn, can limit his athletic advantages and make him a bit late to the play. He can also struggle to see, and avoid, schemed traffic on occasion. That can further slow him as he rallies to the ball or force him to give up separation.
Finally, Cisse has dealt with some nagging injuries over the course of his career and this past year. Teams will want to do their homework with his medicals and make sure they’re comfortable with any durability concerns.
Game Tape
(Cisse is the South Carolina cornerback wearing number 15 and long white sleeves on both arms.)
Projection
Brandon Cisse projects as a starting cornerback with scheme diversity at the NFL level.
Cisse might start his career as a third or nickel corner as teams work to develop his eye discipline. However, his traits suggest a high upside starter and a player who will be tough to keep off the field for long. He falls just short of boasting “elite” measurable traits, however his combination traits are very good.
Cisse should be able to execute just about any coverage scheme at the NFL level, and has the potential to be a first round pick. That said, the limitations in his profile could also make him an excellent value as a very early second round.
Does he fit the Giants? Yes, value permitting
Final Word: A late first or early second round pick
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