Braden Fiske on his surprise that the Los Angeles Rams drafted him and why his contract is unique

Braden Fiske was as surprised as everyone else when he heard his name was chosen by the Los Angeles Rams with the 39th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The former Florida State defensive tackle made headlines during the NFL Combine as the clear standout performer at the incoming rookie showcase, leading all defensive tackles in key Combine categories such as the 40-yard dash, broad jump and vertical jump while tying for first in the 20-yard shuttle. The performance led to him skyrocketing on pundits’ mock draft boards, from a projected mid-round draft pick to a potential late first round/early second round projection.

That surprising combine performance boosted Fiske’s draft stock so much that he was selected within the first few picks of the second round of the NFL draft. And while there’s no doubt Fiske loves his new team and environment in Los Angeles, he was “definitely surprised” when he got the call from Rams general manager Les Snead.

“I was definitely surprised,” Fiske said in an exclusive one-on-one interview. “Because I talked about it a lot during the pre-draft process, every team plays their cards differently: how they express interest, the way they recruit you, how they get to know you, how they do their background checks on you. I haven’t really done anything with the Rams, hadn’t really heard much from them, hadn’t really talked to any of them at the All-Star Games or the Combine.

What makes the pick even more interesting is that the Rams moved up in the second round and made a draft day trade with the Carolina Panthers, giving the Panthers their No. 52 and No. 155 selections and a second-round pick in 2025 in exchange for the 39th pick in the draft. It shows how badly Los Angeles wanted the Florida State alum, with head coach Sean McVay saying after the draft that Los Angeles was willing to do “anything we could” to land Fiske.

“When it happened, it was a big surprise to me,” Fiske said, laughing. “I didn’t expect the Rams to pick me — because they didn’t have a selection until a couple of picks later — but they jumped up and got me and I couldn’t have been in a better situation. Where I am now with this coaching staff, it’s probably the best situation I could have been in.”

Jared Verse will help Fiske’s transition from the collegiate ranks to the pros – Fiske’s fellow defensive linemate at FSU and this year’s first-round draft pick of the Rams. Verse recorded nine sacks in consecutive years for the Seminoles while being named a first-team All-American.

Fiske says he was already “in shock” when he heard his name called on draft night and that the moment became even more special when Verse – along with Snead – hopped on the phone to congratulate his fellow Seminoles alum on his draft call.

“It’s just cool,” Fiske said. “Because you’re coming to an unfamiliar place with at least someone you have a connection with and you can come in here and hit the ground running. It’s honestly been a really smooth transition. I attribute a lot of that to being able to play with Jared (again) and just spending the day with him — because it’s like secondhand — doing everything we did at Florida State.

Though Fiske is a second-round draft pick, his contract is unique in that it includes more guaranteed money than is typical for someone of his draft stature. The 24-year-old signed a deal with the Rams that includes $7.6 million fully guaranteed — $3.7 million of which is a signing bonus — over four years for a total of $9.4 million. The first three years are fully guaranteed.

It’s also notable because it was negotiated by Fiske’s agent, 31-year-old Joshua Grady. Grady — who has represented Fiske since January as part of Grady Sports Agency — is the youngest NFL agent to represent a top-40 pick in this year’s draft cycle.

“When he was drafted at the point he was at, there had to be some negotiations regarding guaranteed money in his contract,” Grady explained. “It certainly gave us an opportunity to negotiate with the Rams to get him a significant increase compared to what happened last year with the same pick.”

Similar picks from last year’s draft – defensive end Derick Hall at No. 37 and tackle Matthew Bergeron at No. 38 – signed guaranteed-money deals worth $7.2 million and $7 million, respectively. The No. 39 pick in last year’s draft – wide receiver Jonathan Mingo – signed a fully guaranteed-money deal worth $7.7 million. However, Fiske’s fourth year is 15 percent guaranteed, which Mingo’s was not.

Fiske — a well-known investor who says he’s frugal with his money — hasn’t made any major purchases since signing his deal. After spending the past month looking for a new car, Fiske decided to stick with his 2014 Honda, which has more than 150,000 miles on the odometer.

The Michigan City, Indiana resident says he’s decided to put more money into his investment pools and says his “big boy purchase” is rent, while the cost of living in Los Angeles is “absurd,” as Fiske describes with a smile. He is, however, leaving the door open to one big purchase for his new home.

“I want to find a new TV for my home, so that could be my big one,” says Fiske.