As NFL teams feasted on a glut of quarterbacks, receivers, and offensive linemen in the first twelve picks of the draft, Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins was forced to wait.
It was a stressful few hours for Wiggins, who is used to getting somewhere quickly, as he can sprint 40 yards in 4.28 seconds. However, the first cornerback was not selected on April 25 until choice No. 22, when Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell went to the Philadelphia Eagles.
That sparked a mini-run on corners, with Alabama’s Terrion Arnold landing with the Lions at No. 24. And that’s when the Ravens, ranked 30th, began to worry.
“Honestly, I didn’t think Nate would be there for us,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta admitted. “We
Eventually, the pressure was relieved for everyone involved, including Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, who was at Wiggin’s draft party and was apparently texting the Ravens during the draft, saying “Please take this guy.”
Baltimore followed through, acquiring a 20-year-old speedster dripping with potential. Wiggins, who believes he was the top cover man in this draft, comes to the Ravens with something to prove after being the third corner taken.
This wasn’t something the Ravens considered likely. Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh recalled a meeting with in secondary coach Chris Hewitt’s office at 7:45 p.m. before the 8 p.m. draft, saying “What if Wiggins falls to us? Wouldn’t that be something?”
“Nah, that will never happen, that couldn’t happen” Harbaugh said, imitating other voices in the room. “But how good would that look on our defense? And it worked out and came true. We were excited.”
At 6-foot-2, Wiggins has the length and speed NFL teams covet. Those abilities were on display in moments fans wouldn’t necessarily notice, because he blanketed receivers so well that passes weren’t thrown his way.
Wiggins, who logged 24 pass deflections in his final two seasons at Clemson, only had three career interceptions. But two of those came off of North Carolina star and now-No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye. Two of Wiggins’ interceptions were run back for touchdowns, including a 98-yard runback on Maye in the 2022 ACC title game.
The Atlanta native’s speed was most evident, though, when he chased down UNC running back Omarion Hampton last year on what appeared to be a runaway 64-yard touchdown — instead stripping the ball out before Hampton crossed the line. Wiggins made a similar play at Miami, as well.
“He’s a ridiculous athlete, very quick-footed and efficient,” DeCosta said. “He’s fast, he’s tough, he’s competitive. In our division, we play a lot of good receivers, you gotta get off (the field) on third downs.
It’s possible some NFL teams were scared off by Wiggins’ slight frame; he weighed in at just 173 pounds at the scouting combine.
Draft analysts also noted a lack of consistent aggression from Wiggins in defending the run, as well as some lapses in coverage when he peeked into the backfield to see where the QB was throwing.
But the Ravens aren’t as concerned. DeCosta and Harbaugh reminded their local media corps multiple times, Wiggins is just 20 years old.
Harbaugh said Wiggins is currently around 180-plus pounds.
“It’s just gonna take time. I’m 20 years old. I ain’t really all stretched out yet,” Wiggins said. “I know, when I get to my peak, it’s gonna be scary.”
Wiggins didn’t expect to last until the 30th pick in the draft, but going late isn’t always a bad thing. It means he’s joining a winning organization. He will actually pair with another Clemson alum, linebacker Trenton Simpson, who was taken by the Ravens in 2023 when he slipped into the third round.
During his pre-draft visit to Baltimore, Wiggins spent time with Simpson, who is expected to play a larger role in 2024 after ex-Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen signed for Pittsburgh as a free agency.
“I feel like he’s gonna be a big role in my part when I get there,” Wiggins said of Simpson. “He works. “He knows how to carry himself.”
