Rams DL Braden Fiske names one area where he wants to improve in 2nd NFL season
Rams DL Braden Fiske names one area where he wants to improve in 2nd NFL season
After the Los Angeles Rams traded up for Braden Fiske in Round 2 of last year's draft, there were questions about whether they overpaid by giving up a second-rounder in 2025. It didn't take long for Fiske to prove he was well worth the high cost, quickly becoming one of the best young defensive linemen in the NFL.
He finished his rookie season with 44 tackles, a team-high 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for a loss, stuffing the stat sheet in his first year in the NFL. Jared Verse wound up winning Defensive Rookie of the Year but Fiske finished third in the voting, so he had the attention of analysts.
What's most exciting about Fiske is he's only 25 years old with plenty of room to grow. Looking ahead to his second season, there's one area where he wants to improve in 2025.
"I want to be better in the run game," Fiske told DJ Siddiqi of Forbes. "I think that was the place -- I don't want to say necessarily struggle -- but the run game wasn't as good as my pass rush game. I want to balance that out more, I want to be more of a presence on the field and become more of a true three-down guy on the field. I think that will really elevate my game going forward and really put me in a separate category if I can really emphasize that."
According to Pro Football Focus, Fiske finished the 2024 season with a 57.5 overall grade but his run defense grade of 38.8 was among the worst at his position. Every player in the NFL can stand to improve in some area and Fiske is aware he needs to get better stopping the run.
That was a major weakness of the defense as a whole last season so if he can improve alongside Kobie Turner and Poona Ford, it'll help the entire unit next season.
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