49ers should be scared after these 4 draft picks landed in NFC West
The NFC West as a whole got a lot better, and that goes for the three teams that aren't the 49ers. Niner Noise looks at the five rookies who could cause strife for San Francisco.
One of the more under-the-radar aspect of the NFL Draft isn't so much who your team drafts, but who your rivals take. It's not just about how much better your team has become, but how much better your divisional rivals are as well.
The San Francisco 49ers waited longer than any other NFC West team to make a pick, thanks to making the Super Bowl, and by the time they got to pick it was clear that the rest of the division looks to be a lot tougher than it was before the draft.
But which of these new rival players really stand out?
Niner Noise looks at the five rookies in the NFC West who could be a real headache in the coming years.
Los Angeles Rams
51. 39. . Defensive Tackle. Braden Fiske. Braden Fiske. . Florida State. 39. player
The Los Angeles Rams drafted from Florida State's defensive line with their first two picks in a bid to upgrade their own D-line, and weirdly enough, it might be the second of these picks who could be the most dangerous for the 49ers.
Braden Fiske was someone chronically underrated during the draft process and could have been picked at the end of the first round easily without any complaint, including by the Niners if they were looking for a long term replacement there.
An explosive pass-rusher who uses his violent physicality to his advantage, Fiske is similarly slightly undersized to the now-retired Aaron Donald at 6-foot-4 and 292 pounds but makes up for it with how he plays. He's stronger than his size suggests and is very athletic.
Fiske could stand to improve his pad level to be more consistent and thus improve his ability to shed blocks, but he still will be a very dangerous player for the Rams.