The Rams were so sneaky about Braden Fiske that even he was shocked the team selected him

The LA Rams are savvy strategists. Not only is the team playing chess with the rest of the NFL’s checkers game, it’s also engaged in a strategy of persuasion and sleight of hand that causes their inevitable draft class to magically appear at the end of the three-day event.

The recap of the story of the former Florida State defensive tackle, selected by the LA Rams early on the second day of the 2024 NFL Draft, is certainly a story worth telling, and DJ Siddiqi, Forbes journalist He adds enough player quotes to give this story a unique blend that’s worth checking out.

“I was definitely surprised. I talked about it a few times during the pre-draft process. Every team plays their cards differently in how they show interest, how they recruit you, how they get to know you, how they do background checks. I didn’t really do much with the Rams, I hadn’t really heard of them and I hadn’t really talked to any of them at the All-Star Game or the Combine.

When that happened, I was very surprised. I didn’t expect the Rams to come in — because they didn’t have a draft until a few picks down — but they jumped at it and signed me. I couldn’t have been in a better situation. Where I am now with this coaching staff is probably the best situation I could have been put in.

It’s really cool. You come into an unfamiliar place with at least one person that you have a familiar connection with and you can come here and get right to work. Honestly, the transition has been really good. I attribute a lot of that to being able to play with Jared again and spend the day with him, because it’s like we’re doing everything we did at Florida State second-hand.

– Braden Fiske

The LA Rams met at least 23 beginner prospects ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. Of that group, the only player the team actually selected was Washington State OLB Brennan Jackson. In post-draft analysis, some suggested the Rams left breadcrumbs to mislead other NFL teams about which rookie prospects they were really interested in.

This “need to know” strategy appears to have limited the team’s interest in Braden Fiske, as even the player himself had no indication that the team was truly interested in him in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Perhaps in the video of his game-day reaction, some of the emotion that rushed across his face came from simple surprise that it was the Rams, the same team that drafted his teammate, outside linebacker Jared Verse, on the phone asking if he was ready to become an LA Rams player.

This story is more than just entertainment. Two incredibly talented defensive players in the 2024 NFL Draft have the benefit of starting fresh with a familiar friend. They have the added benefit of knowing that an NFL team went to extraordinary lengths to ensure they would play their next four NFL seasons with the same Rams team.

But most importantly, Fiske and Verse know that this team has worked hard to earn their trust and loyalty, which is rare in the NFL. As a result, the team can count on getting the most out of both teammates early on this season.

Since taking over in 2017, LA Rams coach Sean McVay has only had one rookie selected among the top 40 overall in an NFL draft. That came in the 2023 NFL Draft, when the team acquired versatile TCU interior offensive lineman Steve Avila with the 36th overall pick of the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

THE the team has just doubled this number by adding two additional players selected from the top 40 in the 2024 NFL Draft. If you get what you pay for, LA Rams fans will be treated to an incredibly entertaining 2024 NFL season.

Thanks for reading.