Braden Fiske, IDL Florida State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Fiske was a two-star recruit from Michigan City High School in Michigan City, Ind. in the class of 2018

Florida State defensive tackle Braden Fiske had quite the year after transferring from Western Michigan. The All-ACC selection ended his 2023 college football season with an epic performance against Louisville. He projects as a priority day three pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Braden Fiske, IDL Florida State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Sixth-year redshirt senior defensive tackle from Michigan City, Ind.

Background: Fiske was a two-star recruit from Michigan City High School in Michigan City, Ind. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 1,590 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 2,046 (three-star) for On3.com. Fiske was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals. He didn’t receive a star rating or grade out of 100 from ESPN. Fiske transferred from Western Michigan to Florida State for the 2023 season. He lettered four times at Michigan City, earning All-Duneland Conference honors three times. Fiske was a captain twice and led Michigan City to the semifinals of the 5A State Playoff for the first time in school history as a senior. He was an ASN All-Area and News-Dispatch All-Area selection. Fiske also lettered in basketball. He was born on January 18, 2000.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 2019 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, surgery for an upper body injury cost him 2023 spring practices, wore a boot at times in 2023

Awards: 2022 Second Team All-MAC, 2023 Second Team All-ACC

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, motor is ridiculous, pursuit speed and closing burst, good play strength throughout frame, times the snap well and has a quick first step, all of his movements are urgent, quick feet to exchange gaps early in the play, quick to diagnose plays and react properly, gets skinny to shoot gaps, club-swim, rip move, swim move, some speed to power, examples of sustained bull rush (Duke, 2023), counters by attacking the lineman’s hands and elbow, spins back into the action when he feels pinned, open field acceleration and burst translate well on stunts, active and violent hands, hands channel good power when placed properly, heavy hands, tries to get hands in passing lanes, quick to recognize and peel off for screens, went berserk vs. Louisville (2023), takes on double teams with a low pad level, competes against and gives double teams some issues, good balance to stay on his feet, able to get skinny and split blocks, able to stack one-on-one blocks against the run when his hands hit first, works blocks down the line to the ball, forceful extensions and shucks to discard blocks

Cons: Age, penalized 15 times in the past three years, doesn’t have high-end arm length, might be up against his athletic ceiling, pad level rises over the rep exposing his ribs, offensive linemen gain the leverage advantage, hand placement must be better considering lack of length, lacks the bend to threaten linemen around the edge, pass rush plan and counters need to grow and diversify, lacks elite agility to finish speedy or twitchy QBs in the backfield, largely limited against LSU’s star-studded offensive line (2023), Louisville game was aided heavily by stunts (2023), ducks his head into some tackle attempts, slides and slips off tackle attempts, displaced when late or wide with hands, pad level and arm length leave him vulnerable against downhill blockers, good number of reps of him being sealed, lacks anchor to east double teams consistently

Overview: Fiske has special teams experience on the kick return, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units. He primarily lined up between the 2i and 4i roles in 2023 but also saw a few snaps at 0-tech and 5-tech. Fiske saw significantly more snaps at 4-tech and 5-tech in 2022 with Western Michigan. The first thing that jumps out about Fiske on tape is his ridiculous motor. He never stops hustling and generates plenty of second-effort plays. Fiske has excellent pursuit speed and closing burst to chase down quarterbacks or other ball carriers. He times the snap well and has a quick first step to fire into contact with the lineman. All of his movements are urgent but can be out of control at times. Fiske has the quick feet to exchange gaps early in the play. The Western Michigan transfer quickly diagnoses plays, including screens, reverses, and trick plays. As a pass rusher, he displays good play strength throughout his frame to overpower linemen. His active and violent hands pave the way for club-swim moves or counters that rely on striking the lineman’s hands or elbow. Fiske channels impressive power through his heavy hands when he engages early in the rep with good hand placement. He also gets skinny to shoot gaps, uses a rip move, and converts speed to power. Fiske collapses the pocket with sustained bull rushes. The former two-star recruit spins back into the action and has the open field acceleration and burst to wreak havoc on stunts. He tries to get his hands in passing lanes when he fails to get home on the rush. In the run game, Fiske takes on double teams with a low pad level and puts up a decent fight. He has the balance to stay on his feet in these situations and can get skinny to split blockers. The All-ACC selection can stack one-on-one blocks and uses forceful extensions and shucks to discard blocks at the point of attack. Fiske is an older player who lacks impressive arm length. He might be up against his athletic ceiling, which could limit his projection to the next level. Fiske’s pad level is a consistent concern. It rises quickly over the course of the play, exposing his ribs for late double teams or counterpunches. This pad level issue leads to his bull rushes stalling and causes him to be displaced against the run. Fiske must perfect his hand placement, considering his lack of length. The Indiana native lacks the bend to threaten linemen around the edge, making it unlikely he sees significant snaps as a 5-tech at the next level. While Fiske is urgent and active, his pass rush plan and counters are limited and need to diversify. Once in the backfield, he lacks the agility to finish speedy or twitchy quarterbacks. Fiske frequently slides and slips off tackle attempts. Run blockers displace him when he’s late or wide with his hands. He lacks the anchor to east double teams consistently.

Overall, Fiske’s motor and active, heavy hands will generate plenty of buzz during the pre-draft process, but his arm length, pad level, and technical development point toward him likely being a day three pick. Fiske is a ferocious, tone-setting defender who should work into a rotation on passing downs during his rookie season.

Role & Scheme Fit: Penetrating 3-tech in four and five-man fronts

Round Projection: Mid Fourth to Early Fifth

Size: 6'5", 297 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 12-13-23