South Carolina defensive back earns more first-round NFL Draft grades

Early last week, South Carolina junior defensive back Brandon Cisse announced that he would forego his final year of collegiate eligibility to enter the NFL Draft. Recent projections for next April seem to indicate that it will be a good decision for him.

First-round NFL Draft grades have begun pouring in for Cisse, and that continued this week.

CBS Sports NFL Draft analysts Blake Brockermeyer and Ryan Wilson each released updated first-round mock drafts, and Cisse made the cut on both Brockermeyer’s and Wilson’s lists.

According to Brockermeyer, the Gamecock corner will come off the board at No. 24 to the Dallas Cowboys. That would mean he would be the third corner selected, behind LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Penn State’s Kelley Jones. Wilson has him going even higher, with the Kansas City Chiefs selecting Cisse at No. 13 overall. Wilson’s placement of Cisse ranks him as CB1 for the draft.

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If taken by the Cowboys, Cisse would join a franchise that has had several former South Carolina stars lately. Though Jadeveon Clowney is the lone former Gamecock on the roster now, Rico Dowdle and Jalen Brooks were with the franchise last year. Defensive backs Stephon Gilmore (2023) and Israel Mukuamu (2021-2024) played together in Big D, as well.

The Chiefs have also had some Gamecock defensive backs on recent rosters. Though no former USC standouts remain in the KC secondary, players like Darius Rush, Rashad Fenton, and Chris Lammons have all been with the team in recent years.

Though he is a Palmetto State native, Cisse spent just one season with South Carolina. He committed to NC State out of high school, playing two years for the Wolfpack before transferring to the Gamecocks. Cisse logged 27 total tackles, five passes defended, and one interception in garnet and black.

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