Jaguars' Andre Cisco Named One of AFC's Most Underappreciated Players

High praise continues to pour in for the Jacksonville Jaguars' fourth-year defender.

Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andre Cisco (5) runs onto the field before a regular season NFL football matchup Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-31 in overtime. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

The praise and hype for Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andre Cisco before his contract year has continued, with the fourth-year defensive back being named in a listing of the most underappreciated players in the AFC by NFL.com.

Cisco, the Jaguars' third-round selection in 2021, has been one of the team's top playmakers and one of the top safeties in the AFC over two years as a starter. Now, it appears he is picking up more and more notice entering a key contract year.

Jessie Bates III was an established stud before last season, but playing under defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen in his Atlanta debut, the safety finally earned his first Pro Bowl nod. Now that Nielsen’s running the defense in Jacksonville, could Cisco experience a similar reputational glow-up? It’d be financially convenient for the fourth-year pro, as he’s heading into the last season of his rookie contract. Though not as polished as Bates at this point in his career, Cisco brings the same kind of skill set as a rangy center fielder with supreme ballhawking instincts. Also like Bates, Cisco can pack a wallop as a heat-seeking missile in the middle of the field, though his aggression sometimes gets the best of him. Under Nielsen's watchful eye, Cisco could iron the kinks in his game and maximize his earning potential. Make paper, young man!

- Gennaro Filice, NFL.com

After 26 tackles, two pass deflections, and two forced fumbles in 17 games (three starts) as a rookie, Cisco has grown into a legitamate playmaker for the Jaguars' defense in the last two years.

In the last two years, Cisco has started all 30 games he has started in and recorded seven interceptions, 15 pass deflections, 135 tackles, two tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

Cisco will enter a third year as a starter in 2024, taking a key spot in the depth chart alongside Darnell Savage, Tyson Campbell, Ronald Darby, Jarrian Jones, and Antonio Johnson.