Braden Fiske was as surprised as everyone else when he heard his name selected by the Los Angeles Rams with the 39th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The former Florida State defensive tackle made headlines during the NFL Combine as the clear standout at the showcase of the incoming rookies, leading all defensive tackles in major Combine categories such as the 40-yard dash, broad jump and vertical jump while tying for first in the 20-yard shuttle. That performance led him to skyrocket on experts’ mock draft boards, going from a projected mid-round draft pick to a potential late first round/early second round projection.
That surprising combine performance ended up boosting Fiske’s draft stock to the point where he was selected within the first few picks of the second round of the NFL draft. And while there’s no doubt Fiske is loving his new team and environment in Los Angeles, he was “definitely surprised” when he received the phone call from Rams general manager Les Snead.
“I was definitely surprised,” said Fiske in an exclusive one-on-one interview. “Because I’ve talked about it many times in the pre-draft process, every team kind of plays their cards differently of how they show interest, the way that they recruit you, how they get to know you, how they kind of do their background checks on you. I didn’t really do anything with the Rams, hadn’t really heard much from them, hadn’t really talked to any of them at the All-Star games or the Combine.”
