Finding comparisons for FSU’s Fiske
2 min read
Florida State's Braden Fiske finished his career with 36.5 tackles for losses.
There are not many defensive tackles in the 2024 NFL Draft that bring the level of intensity and on-field play speed of FSU defensive tackle Braden Fiske. Despite less than average length, he compensates with tremendous lateral quickness and lower body strength.
There have been interior defensive linemen who have overcome a lack of ideal measurements. One of those names is former Georgia defensive tackle Geno Atkins. Atkins largely went in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft due to his 32-inch arms. Like Atkins during the 2010 Senior Bowl, Fiske’s instant quickness made him a nightmare for opponents on game day of the 2024 Senior Bowl (see video below).
Fiske mirrors Atkins in terms of weight (295 pounds) and short-area burst (4.37 seconds in 20-yard SS, Atkins-4.43 20-yd SS) coming out of school. The two are nearly identical in terms of vertical jump (Fiske-33″, Atkins-33 1/2″) and broad jump (Fiske-9’9″, Atkins-9’9″).
The major difference?
Height.
At 6-foot-4, Fiske does not contain the natural leverage of a player like Atkins.
A more apt comparison could be Philadelphia Eagles 2021 third-round draft pick Milton Williams. Williams had similar explosiveness coming out of school at 6-foot-3, 284 pounds. Williams posted a career-high four quarterbacks in 2022.
Regardless of where Fiske goes in the draft, he should get the opportunity to earn a spot in a team’s defensive line rotation. His high motor could present problems for offensive linemen as a one-gap penetrator in Year 1.
We go inside his dominant game day performance in the 2024 Senior Bowl and review his film from Western Michigan.
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