Rams News: LA Rookie Reveals He Was 'Surprised' to Land with Team in Draft

But should he have been?

Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; A Los Angeles Rams logo at the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Rookie Los Angeles Rams defensive Braden Fiske was apparently not expecting to be grabbed by L.A. with the No. 39 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft this past April.

The former All-ACC Second-Teamer explained to DJ Siddiqi of Forbes why his selection to the Horns this season shocked him.

"I was definitely surprised," Fiske told Siddiqi. "Because I've talked about it many times in the pre-draft process, every team kind of plays their cards differently of how they show interest, the way that they recruit you, how they get to know you, how they kind of do their background checks on you. I didn't really do 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."

Rams general manager Les Snead shipped out his Nos. 52 and 155 picks to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the 39th pick, specifically to ensure Fiske was still there when he drafted.

"I wasn't expecting the Rams – because they didn't have a selection until a few picks later – but they jumped up and got me and I couldn't be in a better situation," Fiske noted. "Where I'm at now with this coaching staff, this is probably the best situation I could have been put in."

Fiske will now join his former Florida State Seminoles defensive comrade Jared Verse, added via the Rams' No. 19 pick, in Los Angeles.

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