The Los Angeles Rams put big expectations on their second-round pick in 2024 by selecting Florida State defensive tackle Braden Fiske. Generally, a second-round pick would not have high expectations, but Fiske finds himself in a difficult situation being the first defensive tackle the Rams brought in after losing superstar Aaron Donald to retirement.
Donald retired just before the 2024 NFL Draft, and the Rams selected a pair of Florida State defensive players in the first two rounds. But it’s Fiske who shares Donald’s position. And while the Rams would never expect Fiske to become Donald, he is the de facto replacement on the roster and in the starting 11 defensively.
The future Rams Hall of Famer does not want Fiske to be in a tough situation. So in another great move to show his commitment to the franchise even after retirement, Donald plans to work with Fiske ahead of training camp, according to DJ Siddiqi of Forbes:
“Not really noteworthy advice,” says Fiske of his conversations so far with Donald. “We’re just going to get some workouts in during the next couple of weeks before training camp, so that’ll be cool.”
Fiske getting to work close at hand with Donald could be massive for his development. Donald is not only a Rams legend, but one of the greatest defensive players of all time and he should be able to give Fiske some pointers about how to find success from the defensive tackle position.
As the Rams shift their defense towards youth and lean on some rookies for production, having Donald around to help those players may make a massive difference as L.A. develops their defense into something great over the next few years.
Braden Fiske was surprised Rams traded up for him
When Aaron Donald announced his retirement, it was clear to the world that the Rams would need to address their defensive line in some capacity.
Braden Fiske was considered a bit of a reach by some talent evaluators because he’s undersized and older, but there’s no questioning his motor and technique up front. As far as where he thought he would go in the draft, Fiske admitted he didn’t know it would be the Rams who came calling.
He added that it is the perfect fit for him though and he is excited to get to work, especially now that he will get the chance to work out with Donald.
