Braden Fiske, IDL, Florida State (Senior)
Rayane M
Back for the 2024 NFL Draft edition, The Trick Play team is once again offering to immerse you in the heart of the event through the scouting reports of Rayane and Valentin. Who will become the next gem of the pro world and who, on the contrary, risks a spectacular flop?
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Strengths :
- Explosive takeoff
- Good punch
- Aggressive in pursuit
- Devastating swim move
- Good pass rusher
- Shows flashes of good run stops
- Very active on the field
Weaknesses :
- Plays too high
- Needs to work on double team situations
- Age
- Questionable ceiling
- Small wingspan
- Reading ability
DT Braden Fiske
— Rayane M (@RayaneScout) March 25, 2024
An above-average athletism, an insane explosiveness, a great ability to rush the opposing QB and an unshakeable desire to create big plays, and you have an idea of the type of player Braden Fiske is.
2nd round value🔍 pic.twitter.com/v0EsWj3oNz
TTProfil
In the end, Braden Fiske has some compelling arguments to support the hype he received following his impressive Combine performance. His athletic abilities, unlike many prospects over the years, are clearly evident on the field, especially his strength and overflowing explosiveness. There isn't a game where Fiske doesn't flash on a particular play. With a good ability to rush the opposing QB in addition to his athletic talents, it's easy to understand why all eyes are now on him, and in this case, it's well-deserved.
If we're leaning towards a Tech-3 DT profile for Braden due to his qualities and flaws, we shouldn't dismiss the possibility of seeing him selected by a team that plays with a 3-4 front. With his athletic abilities, he'll be more than capable of playing at that position, as he has proven in some games with Florida State. Personally, I'm all in for Braden Fiske. Despite his advanced age and somewhat uncertain ceiling, I see potential for him to develop in defending against the run and thus still have room for growth. In any case, his floor is quite high, and Braden should logically be used from his rookie year, at least in certain obvious passing situations.
With talent, areas to work on, and an advanced age, I still find it difficult to see him as a true first-round pick. So, he's a second-round prospect for me. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised to see him go in the late first round because he ticks the boxes of what coaches and scouts crave today—athletic abilities and quality pass rush skills.
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Indeed, if there's one aspect where Braden Fiske will immediately catch your eye, it's his impressive explosiveness. Especially on his takeoff, his explosiveness often allows him to be the first to make initial contact with his counterpart. Beyond his explosiveness, Braden is also a player with impressive athletic qualities.
Braden also possesses a powerful punch that he uses to create good separation. This is particularly evident when he stays low, but much less noticeable when he plays too high, which unfortunately happens at times.
If Braden is a good pass rusher, it's notably because of his very effective swim move, which is truly devastating. The swim move is explosive, executed very quickly, and performed with good trunk flexibility to make himself as slim as possible, thus minimizing the surface area for the opposing lineman to block. It's excellent work on this technique. His rip move is also notable; while not as good as his swim move, it remains useful and particularly effective in certain situations.
Another point to highlight for a pass rusher, Braden doesn't hesitate to quickly use a spin move as a counter move if he feels it's necessary. This is a very positive aspect of his game.
While Braden isn't primarily known for his run-stopping ability, it's still worth noting some impressive flashes in gap control situations against the run, which could be a positive point for his value as a potential starting DT.
One thing I appreciate about Fiske is that he truly acts like a hyperactive wrecking ball at the center of the defensive line. Between his explosiveness and the fact that he keeps his legs active most of the time when he plays, Braden adds even more of a visual impression of hyperactivity. You're starting to get to know me—this kind of profile really appeals to me.
A couple of small things to note: Fiske is quite willing in pursuit. While he might not be as hyperactive in pursuit as he is in the trenches, he gets the job done and doesn't shy away from it. Another small point that could be significant is that Braden is capable of taking reps as a DE in certain 3-4 front packages. This adds a real versatility to his skill set and is a positive aspect for his personal value.
Despite some slight improvement during the season, Braden seems to struggle a lot with 1 vs. 2 situations in double teams. Playing high certainly doesn't help, but Braden often tries to fight in 1 vs. 2 situations even when he doesn't necessarily have the tools to do so. As a result, it's not uncommon to see him being taken for a ride by offensive linemen. For example, against LSU early in the season, at 13:22 in the 1st quarter, we saw him completely overwhelmed in the red zone by a double team even though he was the first player out of his stance and impacting the offensive line. If Braden wants to have a lasting career in the pros, he'll need to learn to handle these situations because even lined up in a Tech-3 position, he'll sometimes have to deal with this in the pros.
His age could also have an impact on his draft value, as I mentioned, he's a player who emerged relatively late. Moreover, this advanced age inevitably raises questions about his ceiling. What will Braden's progression be once he's in the pros? That's a question that only the future can answer.
Braden seems to have a slightly shorter arm length, which may concern some coaches or scouts. While he can compensate for this flaw with his tremendous explosiveness in passing situations, it's more noticeable in run-stopping situations. Because of this, he can sometimes struggle to consistently create separation.
This ties in with the previous point, but sometimes Braden struggles with his reading of the game. He can find himself stuck in traffic and unable to locate the ball. I mention that it's largely due to the fact that Fiske sometimes fails to create sufficient separation to read the game correctly.