The Rams need more out of Braden Fiske in year three
The Rams traded up for Braden Fiske three years ago and gave up a second round pick. Was it worth it?
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 18: Braden Fiske #55 of the Los Angeles Rams pressures Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears during an NFL divisional playoff football game at Soldier Field on January 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images) | Getty Images If the Los Angeles Rams are going to make good on their Super Bowl expectations this season, one player that can take a step forward to help his team is Braden Fiske. LA moved into the early portion of the second round to select Fiske in 2024.
They sent a 2025 second round selection to the Carolina Panthers, which became Nic Scourton after Carolina did some draft maneuvering themselves. In year one Fiske took the NFL by storm and sacked opposing quarterbacks 11 times. His sack production in year two dropped to five.
The Rams need Fiske to perform closer to how he did as a rookie in order for this defense to be as stifling as its potential. Dispelling Fiske’s sophomore slump… to an extent I wrote this post in October explaining why the analytical profile of Fiske’s second season was more optimistic than he showed in the box score on a weekly basis. This mostly held up for the remainder of the year.
Fiske saw the most double teams on LA’s defensive line through October Injuries are limiting his availability His pass rush metrics were consistent to his rookie year with less sacks While sacks are the most often used statistic in order to gauge pass rush productivity, they are fickle and influenced by factors outside of simply beating the blocker in front of you. Jared Verse winning the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2024 shows how pressures are now more valued in the modern league. Here’s what we know: Fiske played less snaps in his second season: 673 to 700.