It should come as no surprise that the Los Angeles Rams selected a Florida State defensive lineman in Round 2 considering that’s exactly what they did on Thursday night. A second-round selection came sooner than expected via a controversial trade with the Panthers.
The Rams traded Picks 52, 155, and a 2025 second-rounder for Braden Fiske, causing some to freak out over the “fleece” by the Carolina Panthers, the original owner of the 39th overall pick.
They reference the trade value chart as the basis for their reasoning but here’s the truth: The value chart doesn’t matter if the player is a stud and that’s exactly what the Rams got in Fiske.
After a dominant career at Western Michigan, he transferred to Florida State where Fiske and Rams first-round pick Jared Verse helped anchor a defensive line that was devastating.
Fiske shot up draft boards after a phenomenal combine, placing first in his position group for the 40-yard dash, broad jump, and vertical jump. He also tied for first in the 20-yard shuttle.
Fiske gets off blocks well, has a nice “push-pull” pass rush move, and has a tremendous motor. He will help open things up for his interior defensive line partner Kobie Turner. Pairing a player with Fiske’s talents alongside Turner, Byron Young, and his collegiate teammate, Verse, gives the Rams one of the youngest and brightest defensive lines in the NFL.
Fiske won’t replace Aaron Donald. At least not immediately, but the Rams will need to replace Donald’s production in the aggregate. Verse and Fiske will be more than enough to do that.
It is an excellent pick and considering that the Rams still have a vast amount of Day 3 picks, this is a home run selection.
