CBS Sports says this rookie is in line for a key role in Jags defense

Most of the attention has been placed on rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence since the Jacksonville Jaguars took him with the first overall pick in 2021, and for good reason. His selection was the most important in the class.

But to find the best draft pick from a value perspective, one may have to look elsewhere. And though he certainly enters the league with some question marks, it’s hard to name a player in the Jags’ 2021 class that could end up being a bigger steal than Andre Cisco.

The former Syracuse safety could have easily been a first-round prospect were it not for a pair of injuries that limited him to just 24 games in college. Instead, he slid to the Jags in the third round allowing the team to make a great value pick. And according to CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso, he could be one of the post-Day 1 picks to make a major impact as a rookie.

Throw Cisco in the group of prospects that had no business lasting as long as they did in the draft. Third round? For a thick, super-rangy safety who averaged better than an interception every other game in college? Those dudes don’t grow on trees, NFL. And I don’t care about the ACL tear. It happened in September. Cisco’s going to be every bit as explosive this September as he was before the injury. He’s a thumping tackler too. On paper, Jacksonville’s secondary is still abysmal. Cisco will help make it more respectable in 2021.

If he can stay healthy, Cisco should compete for the starting free safety job on Day 1. Returning starter Jarrod Wilson made 41 tackles with one interception last season, but he totaled just three passes defensed on the entire season.

Jacksonville upgraded at the strong safety spot this offseason by signing Rayshawn Jenkins from the Los Angeles Chargers, and it seems Cisco was drafted to eventually start at safety, as well.

Despite his relative inexperience, he made the most of the action he received with the Orange, totaling an almost unthinkable 13 interceptions in his 24 games. He didn’t participate in organized team activities as he continues to recover from knee surgery, but he’s now nearly nine months removed from that surgery.

After he was drafted in April, Cisco said he felt like he was at “about 85%.” That should be a good sign for his status during the preseason and the early part of the season, and if he’s able to strap on the pads during fall camp, he will certainly compete with Wilson for a starting spot.