Braden Fiske, a 6-5, 297-pound defensive lineman, helped lead the Florida State Seminoles to their 16th ACC championship in 2023, where he recorded nine tackles and three sacks. Fiske was a three-star recruit coming out of high school in Indiana and spent five seasons at Western Michigan before transferring to Florida State for his final year of eligibility
While at Western Michigan, Fiske totaled 148 tackles, 13.5 sacks, three passes defended, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries through 42 games. Fiske was Second team All-MAC in 2022 following a 12 game, 59 tackle, six sack season in which the Broncos went 5-7 and failed to make a bowl appearance.
Once entering the transfer portal at the conclusion of the 2022 season, Fiske was the 20th-ranked player and the second-ranked defensive lineman in the portal. Fiske decided Florida State would be the perfect environment to help elevate the defensive lineman from Indiana to the next level. Fiske totaled 43 tackles and six sacks through 13 games and was Second-team All-ACC in his first and final season in Tallahassee.
Fiske’s noted strengths according to Sports Illustrated:
- Solid overall upper-body thickness
- Good athlete
- Solid first step quickness/burst
- Gets upfield quickly and keeps his chest clean
- Hands and feet are synced well with excellent change of direction
- Solid overall hand usage (location, timing, placement)
- A ton of slanting/exchanging gaps
- Good angles – limits chest exposure on exchange
- Sniffed out screens/misdirections – smart player
- Keys the snap well to maximize his first step
- Knack for splitting double teams vs. pass
- Maintains low leverage and gets himself through narrow crevices
- Armover + COD, good feel when containing wide
- Hands are active with excellent ability/feel on twists
- Angle discernment is great with twists and he does a good job to contain
- Does a good job maneuvering around the half-man relationship
- Capable run defender against base blocks
- Good job in pursuit
Fiske’s noted weaknesses:
- He’s slightly undersized for an IDL
- Seems to have short arms
- Pad level would get high – has some stiffness in his lower-half
- Will be limited in a two-gapping, reading, type of system
- Needs to finish tackles better near the LOS
- Had a career 15.3% missed tackle rate
- Play strength when tasked to hold the point of attack is modest
- Will be a 24-year-old rookie
Braden Fiske compared to other 2024 prospects:
Braden Fiske – Florida State Seminoles/Western Michigan Broncos – 6’5 – 297 lbs
Western Michigan – 2018-2022
- 44 Games
- 148 Total Tackles (76 Solo – 72 Assisted – 27 For Loss)
- 13.5 Sacks
- 3 Passes Defended
- 3 Forced Fumbles
- 2 Fumble Recoveries
Florida State – 2023
- 13 Games
- 43 Total Tackles (17 Solo – 26 Assisted – 9 For Loss)
- 6 Sacks
Jer’zhan Newton – Illinois Fighting Illini – 6’2 – 295 lbs
- 44 Games
- 187 Total Tackles (80 Solo – 107 Assisted – 27.5 For Loss)
- 18 Sacks
- 5 Passes Defended
- 2 Forced Fumbles
- 3 Fumble Recoveries
Leonard Taylor III – Miami Hurricanes – 6’3 – 305 lbs
- 28 Games
- 64 Total Tackles (25 Solo – 39 Assisted – 22.5 For Loss)
- 6 Sacks
- 1 Interception
- 1 Pass Defended
Byron Murphy II – Texas Longhorns – 6’1 – 307 lbs
- 34 Games
- 70 Total Tackles (32 Solo – 38 Assisted – 15 For Loss)
- 8 Sacks
Kris Jenkins – Michigan Wolverines – 6’3 – 305 lbs
- 37 Games
- 113 Total Tackles (54 Solo – 59 Assisted – 8.5 For Loss)
- 4.5 Sacks
- 1 Interception
- 1 Fumble Recovery
Many scouts have noted Fiske’s size and age as areas of concern, but the defensive lineman’s strength, footwork, and quick hands make him a perfect fit for the Browns defense.
