GREEN BAY — Brandon Cisse won’t call Patrick Surtain II his friend, or his mentor — although maybe that’ll change now that the Green Bay Packers rookie cornerback is in the NFL and they are, theoretically at least, equals. 

OK, not equals — yet, anyway.

But Cisse will call the Denver Broncos star cornerback something else.

“In my opinion,” Cisse said in advance of Friday night’s preseason game between his Packers and Surtain’s Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, “he’s the best in the game.”

Given Surtain’s accolades — three-time All-Pro, four time Pro Bowler and the 2024 NFL defensive player of the year — it’s hard to dispute Cisse’s assertion that there’s no better cornerback in football than Surtain.

And while it’s unclear whether Surtain will play in Friday night’s game — Broncos head coach Sean Payton has decided to play his starting quarterback, Bo Nix, but hasn’t said which other starters will play — Cisse is looking forward to seeing Surtain at least in pregame warmups and talking ball with him.

The two connected earlier this year because they share an agent, and they worked out together during the offseason leading up to Cisse being picked by the Packers in the second round of the NFL Draft.

“He’s somebody that I have a ton of respect for, and that I still talk to here and there to try to get tips from. I don’t know if it gets any better than him,” Cisse said of their relationship. “He’s always somebody that when I do watch tape and watch other corners, I’m pulling a lot from, and just the way he carries himself. He’s a pro.”

Funny, that’s exactly what Cisse’s coaches and teammates have been saying about him, despite him being a 21-year-old rookie whose only actual professional game experience was in last week’s preseason opener at Pittsburgh.

“Habit-wise, he’s ahead of the game as far as when it comes to rookies,” Packers secondary coach and defensive passing-game coordinator Bobby Babich said. “The guy’s a film junkie. Wants to be really good. Puts in the work that it takes to be really good.

“There’s a long way to go still with him, [but] certainly he’s setting himself up to have a chance to be pretty successful.”

Added cornerbacks coach Daniel Bullocks: “It’s just preparation. A lot of young guys come in; they don’t know how to prepare — just watching tape, how you study tape, looking for indicators, formation, formation awareness, splits, cuts, splits, this and that.

“The thing about Cisse, what’s going to make him a good player is his work ethic. That kid has a tremendous work ethic. He’s one of the last players to leave the building. He’s a sponge. He’s easy to coach. He’s a fast learner. He soaks knowledge up from every coach in the building, even players on the team as well.”

Safeties Xavier McKinney and Javon Bullard have experienced that firsthand. And while the quasi-drama of Keisean Nixon’s uncertain status as one of the starting cornerbacks has taken up a lot of oxygen during the past week or so of camp, the one constant while others rotated in at Nixon’s spot with the No. 1 defense was that Cisse was on the opposite side each time — a strong indication that he will start the team’s Sept. 13 regular-season opener in Minnesota against the Vikings.

“He comes in with the right mindset, the right mentality, to find ways where he can get better,” McKinney, a two-time All-Pro, said. “He’s also one of them young guys that ask questions. You always want to see a young guy come in and try to sponge up as much information as he can, and also try to get on the same page with the older guys. I think he’s done a great job of that.”

Added Bullard: “He’s a baller, man. I think what really makes him special is just his willingness to learn from people, different coaches, different teammates. He’s really a sponge. I think it’s crucial for a young player to come in and learn because you learn with experience.

“I think he’s going to be special. He’s going to make a lot of plays for us for sure.”

For his part, Cisse would love to make a couple of those plays on Friday night, with Surtain on the other sideline.

“He’s just somebody that I’ve got a ton of respect for, and somebody that I look forward to learning more [from] in the future,” Cisse said. “Next off-season, I’ll probably get around him and pick his brain some more. It’s great to see someone like that, and hopefully I can continue to pick his brain and learn from him.”

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