With a clear need to add some younger, high-ceiling players to an older defensive line with limited depth, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been eyeing one of the more intriguing defensive linemen in the 2024 NFL Draft class: Florida State’s Braden Fiske.
After speaking with Fiske at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and then hosting him for an official pre-draft visit Tuesday at the South Side facility, the Steelers are very clearly interested in the Florida State product.
However, there are questions about the fit due to his size and age. Fiske is just 6035, 292 pounds, with 31-inch arms. He’s also 24 years old. But there is no denying his production and impressive tape at Florida State in 2023 and Western Michigan in the couple of years before that.
For CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson, if Fiske were to be a target for the Steelers in the NFL Draft, say on Day Two, it would be a great pick for Pittsburgh, one that the fans and media in the Steel City would love. During an appearance on the 93.7 The Fan PM Show with co-hosts Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller, Wilson spoke highly of Fiske as a possible selection for the Steelers.
“This kid is special. I watched him prior to the Senior Bowl. His tape from 2023, he played like next to Jared Verse, who’s gonna probably be a top 15 pick, and he will tell you when we talked to him in the Combine, and he says, ‘Look, I have short arms, but I find other ways to win,’” Wilson said of Fiske as a potential fit for the Steelers, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “High motor, speed to power. Those are two ways he does it, and he does it consistently. He is an absolute headache in the middle of the defensive line. He gives interior offensive line headaches play after play after play, whether it’s collapsed in the pocket, against the run, or the pass.
“And he’s also a great dude. If he were there at 51 and the Steelers took him at 51, you should feel fantastic about that because he is so special.”
Following his lone season at Florida State that saw him really burst onto the scene of the NFL Draft process, Fiske followed up a great season in Tallahassee with a dominant showing at the Senior Bowl, generating quite a bit of buzz. Then, he had an outstanding performance at the Combine, creating even more buzz.
The Steelers have been all over him since the Senior Bowl, so they’re not jumping in just due to testing numbers, which is a positive.
However, based on what the Steelers typically like along the defensive line, there is concern about his weight and arm length.
In his scouting report for Steelers Depot, Ross McCorkle had this to say about Fiske, a player he gave a Late Day Two grade to:
“Fiske had an excellent Senior Bowl week and was named practice player of the week. He was winning some reps almost instantly in one-on-ones with his quick get-off, and it’s easy to see why after watching his tape. He has a lot of great traits and definitely caught some attention in Mobile, but his overall length suggests he will need to play DT, and his weight is a little light to hold up against guards that will have 30-plus pounds on him. If he tests well at the NFL combine, he will have completed a solid pre-draft process and could sneak into the second round. The defensive line class is also on the weaker end of things, which could help his case for DL-needy teams. His motor, quickness, and upper-body strength could be winning traits, especially if he is able to pack on a few more pounds. He has a chance to be a future quality starter at the next level.”
It’s a weaker defensive line class, without a doubt, which makes Fiske all the more enticing. But the fit isn’t a clean one with the Steelers.
That said, the tape is really strong, and the character is high, too, things that the Steelers look for.
We’ll see if Fiske is on the board at No. 51 overall after his eye-opening Combine performance. If he is, there’s a chance he’s the Steelers’ selection, especially after hosting him Tuesday for a pre-draft visit. But questions about the fit will need to be answered quickly, even if the selection might be initially loved due to name recognition.
