Scouting Report: Braden Fiske (IDL) - Florida State
Sales Pitch: "Disruptive 3T who wins with quickness and speed. Undersized with limited scheme versatility at 24 years old indicates a limited ceiling but should provide instant pass rush impact due to quick violent hands and a strong motor."
Athletic Profile
Height: 6’ 3 1/2”
Weight: 295 lbs
Arm Length: 31”
Hand Size: 9 3/8”
40 Yard Dash: 4.78
10 Yard Split: 1.67
Vertical: 33.5”
Broad Jump: 9’ 9”
Short Shuttle: 4.37
3-Cone: N/A
Age: 24
Relative Athletic Score: 9.89 / 10.00
Statistics
Career: 131 Pressures - 21 Sacks - 121 Tackles - 111 STOPs
2023: 28 Pressures - 6 Sacks - 29 Tackles - 26 STOPs
Strengths
Twitchy athlete with excellent first step quickness
Plays with aggression and toughness in run game even when giving up size
Quick violent hands to shed blockers
Solid compliment of moves including the swim, club rip and speed to power
Shows ability to flip his hips and turn the corner at the top of his rush
Closing speed to finish his pressures into sacks
Foot quickness to match angles in run game
Good run game instincts and awareness
Strong motor and pursuit angles from the backside
Agility and quickness to be effective on stunts and twists
Slippery run defender with a knack for turning his shoulders and slipping blocks
Weaknesses
Undersized defensive tackle with short arms
Late deceleration age w/ an injury history
Lacks size or strength to hold up at point of attack
Limited power rush profile
Short arms allow long OL to attach and control him
Single gap 3T only due to size and length limitations
15% career missed tackle rate
Summary
Braden Fiske is a disruptive interior defensive lineman whos game is predicated on speed and quickness. The former All-MAC player spent his first five seasons at Western Michigan before transferring to Florida State in 2023. Fiske is at his best when asked to be an aggressive attacking penetrator. He is a fantastic athlete with plus quickness that allows him to quickly blow by offensive lineman. His first step combined with quick violent hands allow him to quickly beat blockers at the point of attack and make splash plays in the run game. Fiske is undersized for the position and gets easily washed down by bigger lineman and double teams in the run game. He lacks the length (31” arms) or size (292 lbs) to play in a 2 gap system, making his future fits limited to certain schemes. Fiske is a strong pass rusher - he ranked Top-25 in pressures and sacks in 2023 - primarily winning as a speed rusher. He has a competent set of rush moves including the swim move and club rip, as well showing the ability to consistently convert speed to power. He has the agility and flexibility to turn the corner at the top of his rushes, as well as be an effective looper on stunts and twists. The same issues that plague Fiske in the run game, arm length and power, show up as a pass rusher as well. He fails to drive blockers back into the pocket and longer lineman are able to get first contact and control reps. Fiske projects as a 3T in an even front for a defense that primarily runs a single gap run scheme. His lack of size and power will limit his landing spots and overall draft ceiling but his blend of quickness and movement skills are some of the best in the class. He should hear his name called early to mid Day 2 and is one of the top IDL prospects in Tier-2 in this draft.