Brandon Cisse didn’t take long to force his way into the Packers’ plans.
The rookie cornerback arrived in Green Bay with plenty of appeal: an SEC background, eye-catching physical traits and enough polish to be considered a real first-year option if the team needed him. Now the Packers are treating him like more than a developmental piece. He’s working with the first-team defense, a sign that his CB1 upside is already on display.
That kind of rise was never guaranteed. Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine were in the mix, and Benjamin St-Juste gives Green Bay another veteran option.
Still, Cisse has moved quickly enough that the team’s confidence in him is hard to miss. Around the league, that belief seems to be spreading fast.
The Athletic’s Jordan Rodrigue recently included Cisse on a “Future Hits List” of 15 non-first-round rookies who already look like they could become major contributors. Rodrigue said Cisse was thrown into starter’s reps on Day 1 of training camp, a clear sign the Packers wanted to see how he handled real pressure right away.
That early exposure has only strengthened the buzz. An NFC executive told Rodrigue: “LEGIT movement for a near-6-foot corner, even in a few preseason reps. Seems like he shored up a corner spot for them.”
Rodrigue also pointed to Cisse’s work in man coverage and his willingness to tackle in run support. That combination has helped him climb the depth chart so quickly despite being a rookie and turning 21 in July.
The Packers’ rookie class, in general, is drawing attention, especially after the Micah Parsons trade left them without a first-round pick. Cisse is a big reason why the class still feels loaded with upside.
He and defensive tackle Chris McClellan are expected to have major roles in Week 1 against the Vikings in Minnesota. How those two handle that spotlight could go a long way toward shaping the defense early on, especially if they can push through the usual rookie bumps that come with the start of the season.
For now, though, the story is simple: Cisse has already gone from intriguing prospect to a player plenty of people around the league are watching closely. There’s a real chance he ends up looking like one of the steals of the 2026 NFL Draft.
In Other News...
Romeo Doubs Just Sparked A New Packers Debate
Romeo Doubs first game with the Patriots gave New England a quick look at why the former Packers receiver remains such an interesting player to track. Signed to a four-year deal in the 2026 offseason, Doubs was on the field in a recent game and saw three targets, with his night including one drop and an interception. For a Patriots offense dealing with injuries, even a modest debut carried extra weight because every available receiver is being asked to do a little more.
For Green Bay, the performance only adds another layer to the long-running conversation about why the Packers chose to move on from him. Doubs has already shown enough in his career to keep both sides of the argument alive, and a debut like this does not settle much either way. It does, though, remind everyone that once a player leaves, the debate usually turns less on what he did in one game and more on what the team thought it was giving up. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Fans Still Appreciate What Mark Tauscher Became In Green Bay
When Packers fans look back at jersey No. 65, Mark Tauscher still stands out as the standard bearer. Drafted in the seventh round in 2000, he went on to carve out an 11-season career in Green Bay almost entirely at right tackle, becoming one of those steady, dependable linemen who rarely made headlines but always seemed to matter when the games got serious. He appeared in 142 games and eventually earned a place in the Packers Hall of Fame in 2018, which feels about right for a player whose value was built on consistency and toughness.
Tauschers story also carries a small bit of what-ifs, since injury kept him from taking part in the Packers Super Bowl 45 victory even though he still received a championship ring. For a franchise that has seen plenty of players pass through the No. 65 jersey, his legacy remains the one fans remember first, not just for how long he lasted, but for how well he fit in Green Bay once he got there. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Week 1 Depth Chart Hints At Whos Winning Key Job Battles
Following the roster cutdowns to 53 players, the Packers gave a clearer look at how some of their biggest training camp battles may have shaken out by releasing an unofficial Week 1 depth chart. It is not an official declaration, but it does offer a useful snapshot of where things stood coming out of camp and the preseason, with a few notable names showing up in spots that will matter once the games count.
Jacob Monk is projected to start at right guard, Barryn Sorrell is listed opposite Lukas Van Ness at edge rusher, and Keisean Nixon is still holding a starting cornerback role despite competition from newer draft picks and free-agent additions. For a Packers roster that kept several jobs open deep into August, those placements suggest some battles have tilted in certain directions, even if nothing is final yet. [Read more 🡒]