'Born leader': Jaguars safety Andre Cisco looks to take his game to new heights

Andre Cisco is ready to take his game to greater heights.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ secondary has its work cut out for them this season. They’ll face off against some star wideouts, including players like Bills receiver Stefon Diggs, 49ers’ Deebo Samuel and Bengals’ Jamarr Chase.

Needing to match up against some of those offenses will come with a challenge that the Jaguars are ready to accept.

Tyson Campbell, the team’s top cornerback, is thought to be ready to take the next step in his career, becoming a lockdown corner.

'Student of the game': Jaguars' Tyson Campbell is ascending as one of NFL's best corners

Opposite of him, CB Darious Williams is ready to play in his natural position on the boundary this year.

Rayshawn Jenkins, one of the team’s starting safeties, hopes to elevate his game to new heights after posting a career year last season.

Tre Herndon rounds out the group at nickel as one of the more senior players on the team and a key contributor.

All four are going to contribute mightily to this team’s pass defense.

For Cisco, he’s looking to be one of the better safeties in the league, evolving his game.

“I think (the) biggest thing in my career has always been trying to be almost nothing like the dude I was the year before, just really transform my game as much as I can,” Cisco told the Times-Union during the preseason.

The third-year safety does a deep dive after every year into who he is, what he’s doing and what he could change moving forward. Physically, he’s improved — noticeably bigger — and mentally he’s taking a step forward, hoping to set an example to the rest of the team.

‘All-around safety’: Cisco looks to build on impressive 2022 campaign

Cisco, drafted by the Jaguars in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, didn’t start during his rookie season. Instead, he had to sit back, only able to take mental reps from the sidelines for the majority of the season.

Last year, during his first opportunity to take starting reps, Cisco excelled at getting his hands on the football, finishing with 73 total tackles, 10 pass breakups, three interceptions and a touchdown.

Throughout camp, Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell felt that Cisco was comfortable and ready to take the next step.

“His ability is going to take over. Right out of the gate, he came out with pressure. He made the quarterback move, and Big Ham [DaVon Hamilton] got the sack [during the team’s preseason Week 1 game against the Dallas Cowboys],” Caldwell said in August, just after the team’s first preseason game.

“There are different ways to be able to use his ability, being able to rush the quarterback, playing the middle of the field. He’s a talented player that we’ll be able to use in a variety of ways.”

Using Cisco in different ways could increase his production. He didn’t log any forced fumbles with only one sack and one tackle for loss through the first 18 starts of his career.

He recorded a forced fumble and 10 total tackles during the team's Week 1 contest against the Indianapolis Colts.

Cisco was used more within the box during the offseason, allowing his game to become more well-rounded, safeties coach Cody Grimm said in June. That gives the Jaguars the ability to essentially have two players on the field — Jenkins and Cisco — who can play multiple positions, adding to their versatility.

“When he is in the box, all of a sudden, it’s second nature to him,” Grimm said of Cisco. “Getting different looks that the strong safety gets that he doesn’t always get but will come up in certain personnel groups.”

The improvement Cisco has shown, even just one game into the season, is substantial. He is making the right fits at the right time and that’s going to pay off in the future.

“Athletically, he’s a superb athlete. I mean, great feet, he can change direction and he’s a bigger safety for someone that can do that and run the way he does. He can also fit in the box and then open field tackling he’s really good at,” he said.

“His eyes, I mean, he’s got a good feel for being in the post. He had 13 picks in college or something? So, that’s on limited time, the more he sees stuff, once he sees stuff, he usually remembers it.”

Part of Cisco’s process this offseason was dissecting his game, and figuring out exactly where he can improve. He sets a standard for himself, he said and understands that he has plenty to clean up.

“I look back to last year. I looked at my first year in a new system, first-year starting in the NFL a lot of firsts, so I give myself some grace on that side,” Cisco said. “But, understanding going forward that [I] just gotta keep taking those small steps forward each and every day.”

Moving forward, and to get to Caldwell’s expectations, Cisco noted that he needs to make every play that comes to him.

When he gets a chance to run the alley, which is to come from wherever he is on the field to the alley, between the offensive lineman and the outside corner, Cisco needs to be able to make the play. He has to get tackles-for-loss, pass breakups, sacks and more.

Essentially, make the plays given to him on any given play, not just interceptions.

“I think the biggest thing for me is just being prepared for those moments,” he noted. “That’s really just about being calm, playing with some pace.”

One player Cisco draws inspiration from is Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, a player who recently earned the top spot in AP’s NFL safety rankings.

Fitzpatrick is a modern do-it-all safety. There isn’t a play he can’t make, and that makes him unique. In his career, Fitzpatrick has logged 298 solo tackles, six tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, four forced fumbles and 19 interceptions. He had six interceptions last year, tied with three others to lead the NFL.

"He plays with a lot of pace in his game. Not everything is balls to the wall every play to the point where you tire yourself out, it's kind of wasted energy. I think playing with pace, understanding situations and then being able to make those plays," Cisco said of Fitzpatrick and what he wants to do this year.

Perhaps what will help Cisco this season is the defense he’s in. This year, Caldwell has expanded roles for other players, adding to their versatility which gives them the freedom to do more.

“Me, Jenk [Rayshawn Jenkins], Dewey [safety Andrew Wingard] and DT [Daniel Thomas], when we're out there, we all have fun with it and just make sure that we dress it up and give the quarterback a hard time,” he added.

Campbell was in the same draft class as Cisco. He's seen him grow on the field as a player, but also on and off the field as a leader.

"He's a born leader. He acts like a pro, even though he's so young. Just to see the leader he's becoming on this team and one of the key pieces we have on this team, it's exciting to see," Campbell told the Times-Union during the preseason.

"[He's] stronger, you can tell, he's looking like Popeye. But, he's just an all-around great safety. Tackling well, covering well and communicating to the defense. He's a great player."

More than football: Cisco’s talents go beyond the gridiron

While most fans and observers see football players as just that — athletes that will provide some entertainment, the fact is that these athletes are normal people, too, with curiosities and hobbies.

For Cisco, he’s picked up a couple of new ones in the entertainment business: comedy and music, two things that he’s passionate about and does during his free time in the offseason. This year was the first time the third-year safety took to the open-mic stage. He said it went well, and he got some laughs.

"I kind of recently just told myself, I got to step out more and so it is something I want to do in the future, maybe? It’s more just about trying stuff and putting myself in uncomfortable positions and seeing what I’m good at, seeing what I like outside of football," he said.

“The people laughed. I got a significant number of laughs … it was a very beginner, amateur open-mic thing. So, compared to other people I thought I was toward the top of people that were funny, getting laughs, good reception. I don’t think it’s too hard for me. We joke around all day on the field. If you ever see us, we always got some side jokes. So, I feel like it’s kind of me being myself.”

Something that’s been a bit of a passion for Cisco is music. He listens to a lot of the top hip-hop podcasts and has always been into music outside of football. He began to get more involved with it around the draft.

“I have a good ear for what’s good," Cisco said. "I kind of stayed with that sort of stuff [podcasts and hip-hop music]. For me, it’s kind of just being myself. I’ve had tons of songs I never released.”

During the offseason, Cisco released several songs, including one called “Challenge” which he performed at Breezy Jazz House in Jacksonville.

“You get to a point, I was like, ‘you know, what do I have to lose?’ kind of just lets you know more about who I am. Hear me. Get in my brain a little bit.”

Ultimately, it’s refreshing for Cisco to create music. He also said that he and Jenkins have been in the studio together. Jenkins also has a passion for music and represents artists, but the two have not yet made a song together. Perhaps, Cisco said, they will make a song one day to hype the fans up.

‘I want to make plays’: Travis Kelce becomes potential next-up target for Cisco

Sunday, Cisco will have his work cut out for him. Though he won’t be the only player who matches up with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, he has the opportunity to make an impact.

Last year against Kelce, Cisco was matched up against the future Hall of Fame tight end just one time which came during the playoffs, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed the reception for just six yards, stopping Kelce before he could get rolling.

“Plan is to make plays on the ball,” Cisco said in the locker room Wednesday when asked about guarding Kelce. “Mahomes and Kelce got elite chemistry so they’re gonna make their plays, respectfully. But you want to limit it to the best of your ability, and I think the best way to do it is to have your eyes right, be situationally aware, know the formation and study going into this game.”

Cisco won’t be the only player covering Kelce on Sunday. He may not have his number one-on-one at any point during the contest. But, he does relish the idea of getting that kind of matchup and doing well with the opportunity he’s presented.

“I want to make plays for sure. Obviously, to other people in the outside world, if you see me on Kelce and I make a play, it looks good,” Cisco said when asked if he relishes the idea of getting a one-on-one matchup with the future HOF tight end.

“Respectfully, it’s an accomplishment in the sense of, ‘okay, you dominated one of the best tight ends in the league. But, for me, week-in and week-out, there’s different challenges and if we got to stop the best guy on the team and I get that assignment, then that’s big.”

Kelce isn’t the only player on the Chiefs’ team, but he’s a “checkpoint,” Cisco said. The Chiefs will try to get the ball to Kelce any chance they get and “if you want to win, you got to do that, [stop Kelce].”

In his career, Kelce has caught 33 passes for 425 yards and three touchdowns against the Jaguars. In the last two matchups, Kelce accounted for 20 catches for 178 yards and three scores.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X,  formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Andre Cisco wants to be a difference-maker for Jaguars this season