Rams draft pick Braden Fiske was plucked by the Panthers in a second-round trade

There’s no denying that the Los Angeles Rams sacrificed a lot in their trade with the Carolina Panthers to move up in the second round of last month’s NFL Draft and select Florida State’s Braden Fiske 39th overall. The Rams sent Carolina a 2025 second-round draft pick in a total package that represents the 35th overall pick according to public draft value charts.

Some might say that the Panthers cheated general manager Les Snead in this transaction. Others suggested that there had been a run on the central defenders and that if Los Angeles had not made any move up, they could have been left on the sidelines watching a game of musical chairs – that it was probably a move born of desperation. There are also those who say it’s worth hiring a guy who fits right in as a starter and has chemistry with former teammate and current Ram Jared Verse.

One reason I would justify the Rams’ gross overpayment in exchange for Fiske is the same reason why Kobie Turner is such a good deal for Los Angeles. Elite interior defenders don’t grow on trees, and recently, acquiring such a player required a premium draft pick or a large deal with a no-ticket agent.

Of the top 10 players seeking internal passes in the 2023 season (the full list can be found in the link to the post on Turner), six are first-round draft picks. Three of them placed in the top ten of their classes. The other three were eliminated in the first round, picking 17. Of the four remaining players who did not make the first round, three were selected by their original teams in the second round and only Javon Hargrave started his career as a former third-rounder. Hargrave joined the San Francisco 49ers last offseason on a four-year free agent contract worth up to $84 million, further proving that a player of his caliber does not come cheap.

You will only find the best interior defensive lineman at higher prices. They’re virtually impossible to find at a bargain price in recent NFL history, and that’s why I can, at least somewhat, forgive the Rams for paying such a high price to move up to draft Fiske.

Fiske may have been Los Angeles’ highest-rated defenseman, and the gap to the next prospect was steep. Perhaps if Fiske had been drafted by another team before the Rams joined the roster, they would have opted to pick a different position and later return to play defense. Based on the information above, we know that a second-round pick has a much higher probability of becoming an impact player compared to a third-round pick.

This also proves why Turner is the exception to the rule. He was an absolute hit for Los Angeles late in the third round last year and should be a bargain over the next three years, assuming he continues to produce at the level we saw in his rookie campaign.

My justification for trading Los Angeles for Fiske has almost nothing to do with the player himself. We can delve into those details another day and come back to them when we see how he performs on the field in the upcoming season. As of today, this is an argument that has positional value and indicates that you will likely only find a top internal player early in the draft or on an expensive free agent contract.

Were the Rams cheated by the Panthers in trading for Braden Fiske? Yes, probably. Was it worth it for Fiske to become a top inside pass rusher, considering the cost of acquiring such a player? Absolutely. Time will tell whether Los Angeles’ investment in Fiske will pay off.