Braden Fiske has turned heads in the NFL Combine with a surprising stat. The Florida State Seminoles defensive tackle ran a faster time in Thursday's opening Draft Combine session than Patrick Mahomes did in 2017.
During his turnout, Fiske ran a 4.78 40-yard dash - 0.02 seconds faster than three-time Super Bowl winner Mahomes recorded in 2017, which the NFL X account pointed out:
The franchise quarterback of the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs was taken aback by the post:
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Braden Fiske had even said "Oh yeah!" after completing his sprint - perhaps a foreshadowing of things to come:
Adding to the impressiveness of his timing, it also proved to be the fastest among defensive tackles. Fiske also had the highest vertical jump (33.5"), longest broad jump (9'9") and fastest 20-yard shuttle (4.37 seconds) at his position.
He placed in the top-three in the 10-yard split (1.68 seconds) and registered a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.97 out of 10, the highest for a defensive tackle since it started being tracked in 1987.
Potential landing spots for Braden Fiske
With such impressive stats, it will not be a surprise if Braden Fiske lands in the first round of the Draft.
The Chiefs could be a prime destination for him, with stalwart Chris Jones entering free agency after failing to come to terms on a long-term extension. General manager Brett Veach is performing an overhaul of the roster. He may want to invest in a new interior lineman who can make big defensive plays on his own or open up George Karlaftis and Nic Bolton to do so.
Another possible destination for Fiske could be the Carolina Panthers, who are facing a shortage of defensive tackles. At the moment, only Shy Tuttle is under contract;. While he was decent with half a sack, 43 tackles (19 solo), and five pass deflections in his first season in Charlotte, he can do only so much.
The Los Angeles Chargers are another team that could use Fiske's services. They have two of the league's best linebackers in Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack and a top-notch defensive back pairing in Asante Samuel Jr. and Derwin James.
However, their trench depth has always been a major point of contention, even during the Brandon Staley era.
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