The Green Bay Packers used their first selection in the 2026 NFL draft on a cornerback.
And less than a week into training camp, Brandon Cisse is already receiving the kind of opportunity that can accelerate a rookie’s track into the lineup.
ESPN identified cornerback as Green Bay’s leading position battle in its leaguewide look at jobs still available this summer.
Reporter Ben Solak wrote that the Packers might have only one or two starting spots truly open, with the job opposite Keisean Nixon standing out.
A hamstring injury kept Nixon out at the start of camp, allowing Carrington Valentine and Cisse to work with the starting defense.
Nixon returned for the second practice, but the early rotation gave Green Bay’s top draft pick an immediate chance to show he belongs in the mix.
Nixon’s place atop the depth chart is solid. He led the Packers with a career-high 17 passes defensed last season, ranking seventh in the NFL, and earned his first Pro Bowl selection.
The team’s official camp preview identified Valentine, Cisse and Benjamin St-Juste as the candidates to start across from him.
The opening became wider when Valentine left team drills with an apparent injury, and Cisse again lined up with the first team, this time opposite Nixon, per Packers.com.
Cisse Gets Early Run With Packers Starters
GettyASHWAUBENON, WISCONSIN – JUNE 09: Rookie Brandon Cisse #2 of the Green Bay Packers participates in drills during the Green Bay Packers mandatory minicamp at Don Hutson Center on June 09, 2026 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers entered the draft without a first-round pick and selected Cisse at No. 52 overall.
He started 12 games at South Carolina last season, finishing with 27 tackles, one interception, five passes defensed and one forced fumble.
Cisse also brought the athletic profile needed to compete early.
The 5-foot-11 cornerback recorded a 41-inch vertical jump at the NFL scouting combine and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds at South Carolina’s pro day.
Those tools earned him first-team snaps on the opening day of camp.
The practice focused on red-zone work, limiting the number of deep routes he had to defend, but Cisse disrupted a screen pass and began adjusting to the speed of the starting offense.
“It feels great and there’s just a long ways to go,” Cisse said, via Packers.com.
His second opportunity with the starters came for a different reason, with Valentine unable to finish Sunday’s practice.
The circumstances have changed from one session to the next, but Cisse has continued to land in a prominent spot.
The rookie, though, is learning a new defense under coordinator Jonathan Gannon, whose background includes coaching defensive backs.
Cisse is getting those lessons while facing the starting offense, which gives the staff more evidence to look at before preseason games begin.
Valentine Faces Stiff Competition
GettyGREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 11: Carrington Valentine #24 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates a defensive stop against the Washington Commanders during the third quarter in the game at Lambeau Field on September 11, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Valentine is the most familiar option.
The 2023 seventh-round pick has started 34 games, including the playoffs, during his first three seasons and made 11 starts in 2025.
He also intercepted a pass in Green Bay’s playoff loss to Chicago in January.
But the competition extends beyond Valentine and Cisse.
The Green Bay Packers signed Benjamin St-Juste to add a veteran with 45 career starts from his four seasons in Washington.
St-Juste made his first major play of camp Friday, reading the quarterback’s drop and returning an interception for a likely touchdown, according to Packers.com.
He worked with the second unit Sunday while Cisse received the first-team snaps.
So, the rookie will have to hold off two experienced players once the group is healthy.
In the end, ESPN’s selection of the cornerback job as Green Bay’s primary camp battle has already gained traction on the field.
While Cisse arrived as the team’s top draft choice, his first week has given him a proper opening to leave camp with a starting role.
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