S, Syracuse
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 209 lbs
Class: Junior
Andre Cisco is definitely one of the most interesting prospects to evaluate in this year’s draft. He was voted ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 and has made a name for himself with his playmaking and elite athleticism. Whilst he is still one of the more unrefined safety prospects in this class, he has all of the tools to succeed in the NFL.
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Strengths
There is no safety who can rival Cisco when it comes to playmaking and ball production. In his 24 career games at Syracuse he racked up an astonishing 26 combined picks and pass breakups. He led the ACC in interceptions in 2018 and 2019 and had one in two games this year before an injury cut his season short. More than a third of his career targets have resulted in a pick or pass breakup.
One of the things you always want in a safety prospect is good instincts. Whilst Cisco’s aren’t always wholly reliable, he generally reads the game well. He has the uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time in order to make big plays in coverage. Whilst teams will want him to improve from a consistency standpoint, his anticipation skills are uncoachable.
Another of Cisco’s big strengths is his athletic profile. He possesses elite speed and great explosiveness, reportedly running a 4.33 40-yard dash. He easily has the range to cover huge swathes of ground and will comfortably play as a single high safety in the NFL. His fluid hips and quickness also make him an ideal candidate for man coverage heavy scheme and he looked comfortable when asked to play in the slot.
Although his game has been marred by inconsistency, Cisco has shown flashes of his potential in run defense and tackling. He’s willing in both areas and you’ll see occasional splash plays. Once again this is a case of him needing to add more consistency, but he has the size and length to be a good run defending safety in the future.
Weaknesses
Cisco’s potential is huge, but he is still an incredibly raw prospect. This shows up with his inconsistent reads and play recognition skills. He gets sucked in by misdirection and play action far too often. He also has a tendency to freelance in coverage. When this works it looks great, but it often led to coverage busts in the Syracuse secondary. Cisco was a liability at times and allowed eight career touchdowns, the most of any safety prospect.
His issues also show up as a tackler. Cisco struggles in terms of pursuit angles and has been completely inconsistent at wrapping up in the open field. Missed tackles have been a problem throughout his career and show no signs of improving. Cisco has been responsible for 27 misses on his 166 career attempts.
The other concern that teams will have is Cisco’s injury. He suffered a torn ACL just two games into the 2020 season. It isn’t clear what the long term impact will be, but these things can take some time and it is sure to negatively impact on his draft stock.
Bottom Line
Cisco is probably the biggest boom or bust prospect in this year’s class. You can’t coach his level of playmaking ability and he’s one of the most athletic safeties you will find. That said, his poor tackling, issues with play recognition, and lack of discipline in coverage are all going to be a problem in the NFL. He has the tools, but whether or not he can ever pull them all together is still an unknown.
Big Board Rank: #50
Positional Rank: #4
