Baldys Breakdowns adds another Rams to about-to-erupt players in 2025

Everyone loves the entertaining yet insightful analysis of NFL Insider/analyst Brian Baldinger. And when he turns his attention to one of the stars of the Los Angeles Rams, they know to grab some popcorn and settle in. Baldinger, courtesy of Baldy's Breakdowns, is more than a fast-talking analyst regurgitating commentary from a game or practice field highlight reels.

He digs deep and turns the camera to the heroes in the trenches. He loves the guys who put a hand in the dirt and impact the game without much fanfare or attention. He loves the big-bodied linemen, the guys who must deliver against an opponent on every snap of the football, whether or not they make a play. And in his relentless search for future NFL stars, he has identified a young player who is about to erupt in 2025.

He shows fans that Rams defensive tackle will be a force to be reckoned with in 2025.

Can Fiske improve on a stellar rookie season?

In 2024, Braden Fiske was on the field for 661 defensive snaps, starting in eight of his 17 games, and recorded 44 tackles, 8.5 quarterback sacks, 10 tackles for a loss, forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles, and generated a ton of quarterback pressures. But he combined for two more tackles and 1.5 more quarterback sacks in just two games during the NFL Playoffs. He would have done much better, but he played just three defensive snaps against the Philadelphia Eagles in the rematch.

Fiske needed time to warm up in this defense. That is not a fault of his. The Rams were playing in a new defense and were trying to find ways to optimize the performances of multiple young defenders. Fiske accounted for just one quarterback sack in his first seven games. But throughout his last nine games, he recorded 7.5 quarterback sacks.

That relentless pressure carried over to the postseason, where he converted 38 defensive snaps into 1.5 quarterback sacks.

Fiske is about to erupt in 2025

You needn't be an excellent NFL analyst like Brian Baldinger to see where this is heading. Fiske was finally starting to figure out the NFL over the last half of 2024, and was one of the reasons why the defense was so stingy over the last several games.

But it does take an elite NFL analyst to break down the mechanics of the Rams defense and put irrefutable evidence in your hands to make his case. Fiske was adept at stunts and gimmicks at the line of scrimmage that enabled the pass rush to break multiple defenders free. And he knew when to show up at the right spot that led to multiple quarterback sacks.

Braden Fiske is not a rookie trying to build his credibility in 2024. He has earned the right to play and start for the Rams in 2025. With his familiarity comes the ability to show up early and often as well. Fiske was on a roll in 2024. If he sustains that same chaos throughout 2025, he is going to show up in conversations about NFL elite players.

Baldy's Breakdowns adds another Rams to the list of elite stars in 2025. And all evidence confirms that Braden Fiske deserves it. As always, thanks for reading

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