FSU Football NFL Draft Preview: DL Braden Fiske

There aren't many prospects who have had a better pre-draft process than Braden Fiske.

We are one day away from the 2024 NFL Draft and as many as 13 former 'Noles have a chance to hear their name called throughout the weekend. What these articles will attempt to accomplish is catch you up on where each prospect is projected to go, which teams they've met with, measurables, and what scouts and executives have said about these players (if it's been made available). 

No Seminole has had a better pre-draft process than Braden Fiske, blowing up the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine to rocket up draft boards. he went from being a borderline 4th-round pick to being a borderline FIRST-round pick. Teams have fallen in love with his explosiveness and it helped that he single-handedly shut down Louisville in the ACC Championship in a game that the defense had to shine.

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Fiske spent five productive years at Western Michigan before transferring down to Tallahassee. He started the season slowly, not registering his first sack or a full tackle for loss until the 9th game of the season against Pitt, but then he DOMINATED down the stretch. He was the best player on the field in that ACC Title Game and that includes a great game from Jared Verse.

Measurements

Braden Fiske measured into the NFL Combine at a slightly undersized 6035 (6 feet, 3 and 5/8ths inches) and 292 pounds, pushing out a solid 26 reps on the bench press. Then he absolutely blew away the athletic testing: 4.78 4-yard dash, 4.37 shuttle, 33.5-inch vertical, and 9'9" broad jump. Those are insane numbers for a defensive tackle and were all the best marks for all defensive tackles at the NFL Combine this year.

Despite his smaller stature, Fiske was still able to clock in an impressive 9.89 relative athletic score.

Visits and Meetings

Fiske has had top-30 visits with the Los Angeles Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Las Vegas Raiders, while specifically meeting with the Vikings, Cowboys, Panthers, Ravens, Bills, Browns, and Colts.

What the Scouts are Saying

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com: "Defensive tackle with below-average mass and length who makes up for it with above-average quickness and a constantly revving engine. Fiske uses sudden hands and nimble feet to whip single blocks. Once he finds daylight, he flies to whoever has the ball. He doesn’t have the anchor to sit down and muddy gaps, so scheme will be important for him. Fiske is a hustle rusher who can win quick or late if opponents don’t play with proper hand usage and match his energy. He lacks ideal measurables but has a chance to become an impact defender."

Dane Brugler of The Athletic (paywall): "Fiske doesn’t have a deep arsenal of counters if he doesn’t win early, but he already has a professional mindset and his twitchy urgency and steady play strength will translate well to the pro game. He projects as a rotational three-technique with versatility to move around an aggressive front. "

Danny Kelly of The Ringer: "Fiske is undersized for the interior and has very short arms for the position—just 31 inches with a 77-inch wingspan—which could hurt his ability to take on and get off of blocks. He relies a little too much on his tenacity and motor, throwing bull rushes galore at opponents throughout the game, and will need to add more moves to his repertoire."

Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus: "Fiske wins with a quick first step and fast hands, allowing him to be an effective one-gap penetrator and making him tough to reach block. His shorter arms limit the depth of his pass-rush tool bag despite his good understanding of moves. His club-arm over/swim is potent. His weight limits his strength in run defense, but he holds up well pound-for-pound and possesses good eyes and anticipation for where the ball is going."

Steve Muench of ESPN: "Fiske had a productive five-year stint at Western Michigan, was named an AP third-team All-American in his only season at Florida State, had arguably the best game of his career in the ACC Championship Game, performed well the week of the Senior Bowl and had an outstanding workout at the combine. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash out of the defensive tackles in Indy (4.78). The testing backs up what you see on tape. He is explosive with the initial quickness to get into the frames of blockers and shoot gaps defending the run. He closes well for an interior defensive lineman and chases with great effort."

Projected Draft Range

Fiske could possibly sneak his way into the last few picks of the first round, but I think he's firmly in the second round as either DT3 or DT4. I've seen some scouts say he's a 3rd or 4th round pick, but he's too athletic and was too good at the Senior Bowl for him to last that long.

Teams are always looking for pocket-threatening interior presences and Fiske is one of the best in the class at that.

Here are the current draft picks in the 2nd-3rd round of the teams that have been associated with Fiske: Chargers (37 and 69), Raiders (44 and 77), Steelers (51, 84, and 97), Cowboys (56 and 87), Panthers (33, 39, and 65), Ravens (62 and 93), Bills (60), Browns (54 and 85), and Colts (46 and 82).

Fiske may have dropped a hint in a quick interview with the Bussin' With The Boys podcast by saying he would've loved to play for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan since they won the national championship. Well, Harbaugh is now the head coach of the Chargers, brought him in for a visit, and has a massive need for an interior defensive lineman.

Maxx Crosby of the Raiders was a big fan of Fiske's performance at the Combine and has publicly advocated for his team to select him if they can. That'd be a terrifying defensive front with Crosby, Christian Wilkins, and Fiske, especially if Tyree Wilson can live up to his draft billing from last year.

The Vikings need defensive linemen but don't have any current draft picks in this range. The Ravens are always looking for defensive linemen, it seems like, and could look to take Fiske as well.

Prediction

I have Braden Fiske landing with the Los Angeles Chargers at pick 37, but that's dependent on what they do in the first round. If it's not the Chargers, the Raiders at 44 would be my next bet.

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