Did Rams make the right decision drafting Braden Fiske over Cooper DeJean?

Should the Rams have selected Cooper DeJean instead of Braden Fiske in the 2024 NFL Draft?

When the Los Angeles Rams traded up from the 52nd overall pick to 39 in the 2024 NFL Draft, many expected that it could have been for Iowa safety Cooper DeJean. Instead, the Rams select defensive lineman Braden Fiske out of Florida State to pair with his teammate Jared Verse.

At the time, the Rams trade up from 52 to 39 for Fiske was considered the most expensive Day 2 overpay of at least the last six drafts. It’s fair to say at this point that the Rams made the correct decision by trading up for Fiske and an argument could be made that he was a first-round talent. In fact, Tyler Brooke of The 33rd Team recently did a re-draft of the 2024 NFL Draft and had Fiske going 27th overall. Said Brooke,

“Fiske has been a steal for the Rams this season, generating 48 pressures with eight sacks and two forced fumbles. He isn’t the biggest or longest DL, but he is so athletic and effective as a pass rusher that he would be an instant starter for Arizona.”

According to Pro Football Reference’s Weighted Approximate Value, Fiske was tied for 32nd in value. Still, he led all rookie in sacks with 8.5 and finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. He was one of six players to receive a first place vote by Kay Adams.

However, finishing right behind him with five fewer points and also being drafted right behind Fiske was DeJean. DeJean also had an incredible rookie season that was recently capped off with a pick-six in the Super Bowl. Additionally, in Brooke’s 2024 re-draft, DeJean went 10th overall to the Vikings.

This isn’t similar as to when the Rams passed on Creed Humphrey for Tutu Atwell. The Rams needed a defensive lineman and Fiske was a great fit. He also had an incredible rookie season of his own as described earlier. At the end of the day, the Rams will have no complaints about the player that they ended up with. While the Rams ended up with a good player, was it still the correct decision? It is interesting to think about the type of impact that DeJean would have had in the Los Angeles secondary.

Pro Football Focus isn’t the end-all, be-all. At the same time, DeJean finished as the fourth-highest rated cornerback in the NFL last season. The highest graded Rams cornerback was Cobie Durant at 95. DeJean allowed 7.3 yards per reception while no Rams cornerback allowed less than 10. DeJean gave up the third-lowest coverage EPA among defensive backs. Meanwhile, Darious Williams allowed the fifth-highest. Quentin Lake ranked 41st.

Again, this isn’t to say that the Rams necessarily made the wrong decision. However, there is no doubt that a player like DeJean would have had a big impact in the Los Angeles secondary. Had the Rams taken DeJean though, they may have felt Fiske’s absense in other places such as the pass rush. Fiske had a top-10 pressure rate among interior defensive linemen.

At the end of the day, the Rams and Eagles likely got it right for their specific team builds. Fiske was a good complement to Jared Verse with the two players having previous familiarity. Despite losing Aaron Donald, the strength of the Rams defense was along the defensive line and lot of that had to do with Fiske.

What Fiske was to Verse, DeJean was to Quinyon Mitchell and the Eagles secondary. The two players complemented each other very well. They will both be a cornerstone of that defense over the next decade. DeJean was a perfect fit for the star role in the Vic Fangio defense.

It’s highly unlikely that the Rams look at the 2024 draft in three years or five years and regret taking Braden Fiske. In 2014, the Dallas Cowboys took Demarcus Lawrence over Joel Bitonio. The Cowboys aren’t looking back a decade later and wishing they hadn’t taken Lawrence. Both Fiske and DeJean have worked out for their respective teams. They were each top-four in defensive rookie of the year voting and made an impact at their positions. The Rams and Eagles would have it no other way.