From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Florida State DT Braden Fiske.
#55 BRADEN FISKE/DT FLORIDA STATE – 6035, 292 LBS. (R-SENIOR 6TH YEAR)
Senior Bowl
Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Braden Fiske | 6035/292 | 9 3/8 | 31 | 76 3/4 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.78 | 1.68 | 4.37 | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’9″ | 33.5 | 26 |
THE GOOD
– Thick, dense frame
– Consistent effort from snap to finish
– Great speed and burst for a nearly 300-pounder
– Good snap timing and get off
– Good shock in his two hand strike
– Disengages blocks well with good play strength, violent stack and shed
– Has a nice swipe-rip and swim move to penetrate the backfield
– Solid anchor, good power in his hips
– Good competitive toughness, will chase down ball carriers from across the field
– Solid contact balance, keeps his feet
THE BAD
– Lacks ideal length to help keep blockers off him
– No great plan once his initial move fails, defaults to spinning away
– Exposes his chest and ends up playing with high pad level when he doesn’t land his punches
– Bull rush ineffective without a running start
– Will turn 25 at the end of his rookie season
BIO
– Originally a three-star recruit out of Michigan City HS in Michigan City, Indiana
– Turned 24 in January
– Played his first five seasons at Western Michigan before transferring to Florida State in 2023
– Played all along the defensive front at WMU and primarily B-gap at FSU
– Started 31 games at WMU and logged 148 total tackles, 76 solo tackles, 27 TFLs, 13.5 sacks, 3 passes defensed, and 3 forced fumbles
– Second-Team All-MAC in 2022
– Started 13 games at FSU and logged 43 total tackles, 17 solo tackles, 9 TFLs, and 6 sacks
– Third-Team AP All-American in 2023
– Two-time team captain in high school
– Also played baseball in high school
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Fiske has an excellent motor and pursues the ball relentlessly. His overall athletic ability and play speed is great for a defensive tackle. He lined up all over the line at Western Michigan and would even rush from the edge where he could really show off his speed. On this first play of this clip, he penetrated the backfield with his quick first step and fought through three blocks while he chased down the quarterback. He didn’t end up making the play, but he created chaos in the backfield and showed an impressive motor. The rest of the plays, you can see his closing speed and backside pursuit. Impressive movement for an almost 300-pound DT.
This next clip shows a couple of Fiske’s main weaknesses. On the first play, the OL had more length and latched on to his chestplate, completely neutralizing Fiske on the play. On the second play of the clip, he shows why 295 pounds may be slightly too light to hold up at defensive tackle. His anchor holds up well in one-on-ones against the run, but he got combo blocked and driven about 10 yards away from the play. His body size and overall length are an awkward fit for some defensive systems.
He is very effective flowing against zone blocks and finding his way through traffic to the ball carrier. He uses his inside arm and makes his target skinny for the offensive linemen to strike at and his speed helps him get outside of reach blocks. On all three of these plays you can see him navigate through traffic against outside zone to get in on the tackle.
When Fiske is able to get his hands on offensive linemen, he has really nice shock in his hands and stacks and sheds blocks well. On all three of the plays in this clip, watch him toss defenders aside, shedding the blocks to make a move towards the ball carrier. His upper body strength is really impressive.
When pass rushing, he does a nice job getting his hands up in the passing lanes when he knows he can’t make it to the quarterback. He only had three batted passes in college, which was honestly surprising given how often he gets his hands up and nearly gets the deflection. Some of that may have to do with his arm length. Football is a game of inches, and he is missing a couple of them in his length.
CONCLUSION
Fiske had an excellent Pro Bowl week and was named practice player of the week. He was winning some reps almost instantly in one-on-ones with his quick get off, and it’s easy to see why after watching his tape. He has a lot of great traits and definitely caught some attention in Mobile, but his overall length suggests he will need to play DT and his weight is a little light to hold up against guards that will have 30-plus pounds on him. If he tests well at the NFL combine, he will have completed a solid pre-draft process and could sneak into the second round. The defensive line class is also on the weaker end of things which could help his case for DL-needy teams. His motor, quickness, and upper-body strength could be winning traits, especially if he is able to pack on a few more pounds. He has a chance to be a future quality starter at the next level.
Projection: Late Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 8.1 – Future Quality Starter (2nd Round)
Games Watched: vs Florida State (2023), at Bowling Green (2022), vs Pitt (2022)
