It's been a common refrain by the Rams this offseason: They can't hope to replace the great Aaron Donald.
Acknowledging so is also common sense given all Donald accomplished during his decade in the league, and although second-round rookie Braden Fiske is in full agreement, he's also ready to contribute to refortifying the defensive line in his own way.
"I have to be me," Fiske told Forbes' DJ Siddiqi. "I have to build my own legacy and that's what I'm looking forward to. I don't feel like I'm really filling shoes, but I have to create my own shoes. That's kind of what it is. I'm just excited to be a part of it and I know that'll kind of always be the comparison of who's going to fill his shoes, but somebody has to do it."
Along with Fiske, 2021 fourth-rounder Bobby Brown III and 2023 third-round Kobie Turner, who led the team with nine sacks as a rookie, stand to lead Los Angeles' D-line into the future.
It's a young, promising group, bookended on the edge by the Rams' first pick this year, Jared Verse and their second-leading sack-getter who tied Donald with eight sacks in 2023, Byron Young.
As part of preparing to play his part in transitioning into the post-Donald era, Fiske naturally plans to get some work in with the Rams legend himself.
"Not really noteworthy advice," Fiske said regarding conversations he's had with Donald since being drafted. "We're just going to get some workouts in during the next couple of weeks before training camp, so that'll be cool."
While Fiske is far from the sack master Donald was -- the Florida State product had 19 sacks across 58 collegiate games, while Donald retired with 111 and once had 20.5 in a single season -- he shares a type of top-of-the-class athleticism similar to the eight-time All-Pro.
Provided some room and a head of steam, Fiske is liable to transform into a terror-inducing blur with 4.78 speed at 6-foot-4 and 295 pounds. He wowed that way at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, finishing first among defensive tackles in the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle (4.37) and vertical jump (33.5").
Just how and how often the Rams employ him during his rookie year will become clearer as training camp progresses, but he's putting in the leg work to make an impact -- and he already feels he can be better than he once thought after his first taste of L.A.'s offseason program.
"I think I have a lot of room to grow," Fiske said. "I think my ceiling is even higher than I thought it was coming out of college. Once you get out here and work with the pros, you see where you can elevate your game to. You're kind of comparing it to guys around you, I just see that the ceiling is even higher than I think I even realized it would. Just see where I can take this game and see how I can build this career. No flat-out objectives from Day 1, other than get better. Like I said, I'm grateful to be a part of this. I'm just excited to see how I can grow in the next year."
