ANDRE CISCO'S FIT IN DUVAL + STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

How will safety Andre Cisco fit in Jacksonville?

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

---

The Jaguars finished their second day of the 2021 NFL Draft by selecting free safety Andre Cisco with the top in the third round at 65 overall. 

The 21-year-old junior stands 6'0" and weighs in at 215 pounds. Cisco intercepted 13 passes to go along with 136 tackles and two forced fumbles in 23 career games at Syracuse. He's currently rehabbing from an ACL tear that cost him all but two games in 2020. 

Strengths: Andre Cisco has the best range of any safety in this class. He regularly picks off passes that looked to be easy completions. He is an excellent athlete. It's easy to see that on tape, even without the testing numbers. Cisco is one of the best ball-hawking safeties you'll ever see. He has good size and strength for the position. Has the ability to lay the wood against the run and in pursuit.

A New Hope Tee

Shop

Weaknesses: He is currently recovering from an ACL tear — which inherently adds more risk to the pick. Cisco displays inconsistencies with his urgency and angles to the ball. He could improve his form and technique as a tackler. He needs to reduce the "out of control" plays. 

Fit with the Jaguars: Andre Cisco, when healthy, will be the Jaguars' best athlete at the safety position. He has more range and ball-hawking ability than anyone else in that room. Cisco's ability to get the ball back for Trevor Lawrence should not be undersold. It can be more beneficial to have a legitimate playmaker that might take some unnecessary risks than to have a steady eddy — especially when you have an offense with the type of firepower the Jaguars currently boast. Cisco's big-play ability should serve Joe Cullen's new defense well. The blue print for how Joe Cullen can deploy Cisco comes from Earl Thomas' lone season in Baltimore. Cisco can emulate Thomas' rangy play-style. But when will he be ready? Cisco told the media he plans on being 100% by the time training camp rolls around, but it can be tough to get right back to where you were after a long rehab process. Half the battle will be about trusting his knee. But the Jaguars have Jarrod Wilson, who can start and play mistake-free, to hold down the fort until the talented playmaker is ready to return. 

Final thoughts: Ultimately, the Jaguars could've had the top safety in the draft, Trevon Moehrig, at 33. Instead, they opted to add a raw albeit traitsy former five-star cornerback. I'm not sure the process was right on that decision. Still, if Cisco ends up making a full recovery and can continue his playmaking ways at the next level, Jaguars' HC Urban Meyer and GM Trent Baalke will look like geniuses. 

Follow Jordan on Twitter.