Braden Fiske – Defensive Tackle – 24 years old – Senior – Florida State
Height: 1m96
Weight: 135 kg
Stats 2023: 43 tackles (including 9 for loss), 6 sacks
Estimated draft position: 2nd round
NFL Comparison: Geno Atkins
A permanent climb. Arriving in the spring of 2023, in a long-toothed Florida State team, Braden Fiske was one of the executives who took the Seminoles to undefeated status in the regular season. A way to brilliantly conclude a university campaign that he had until then accomplished very well on the smaller campus of Western Michigan.
But it was during the draft process that the defensive lineman burst into the eyes of the world, insisting on the fact that he was undoubtedly much more than a simple complementary player. How far can it attract franchises? What are its strengths and weaknesses in concrete terms?
Braden Fiske's strengths
- Exceptional athlete
- Constant activity
- Range of moves
We said it in the introduction: a fundamental element that works in Fiske's favor is of course his athletic qualities. The person concerned has always played on his speed from the first step and his penetrating ability to perform on the pass rush or the run stop. But few expected such dizzying numbers at the Combine, especially in the 40-yard dash, where the time of 4.78 seconds seems unreal for a player who weighs 135 kilos!
His speed, and more broadly his speed of execution and his very good support make him an atypical profile in this class. Because Fiske is, thanks to these attributes, one of the very best interior linemen to go after the quarterback. Equipped with a solid range of moves, armed with violent hands, constantly active and looking for a plan B to counter his opponent… Fiske thinks and plays like a modern NFL player. Over the last three seasons, the Floridian has accumulated 16 sacks, including 6 in the only campaign carried out on the Tallahassee campus.
Braden Fiske's weak points
- Center of gravity
- Overcommitment
- Room for improvement
If there's one thing you can't fault Fiske for, it's his determination and commitment. The offensive linemen won't always blame him either, because sometimes rushing headlong, the Seminole tends to lack discipline and accuracy against more technical players.
His ability to rush the quarterback and quickly penetrate the pocket can tend to immediately exclude him from a play. His technique will also play tricks on him. At the top of the body, with an arm length that could suffer from comparison with imposing counterparts. At the bottom of the body, with a lack of anchoring and balance which can lead to him being simply written off from an action.
Last but not insignificant point: the age of the player. Without advocating excessive youthism, the Western Michigan alum has just spent six years at university, which may raise questions about his famous “ceiling” and the professional margin that relates to it. Between two interesting options in a fairly dense position, it cannot be said that a franchise favors a more attractive project in the long term, which risks costing the defender places in the draft.
Possible destinations
Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears
Athletic qualities, leadership, determination… Braden Fiske is a player who has multiple arguments to quickly find a place on a roster. Certainly, his size and age will not reassure all observers, but with such speed of execution and the art of dominating the pass rush, the Indiana native represents an extremely rare commodity in the position. His potential will undoubtedly be best exploited on a front-4 giving pride of place to explosiveness and aggressiveness, and it seems very surprising to see him go down beyond the top 50 in the next draft.
