Nate Wiggins excelled at man coverage during his rookie NFL season

USA Today

01-05-2025

Nate Wiggins excelled at man coverage during his rookie NFL season Nate Wiggins deployable skill had to delight Zach Orr in 2024
Baltimore Ravens defensive back Nate Wiggins played exceptionally well during his rookie season with the franchise. Alongside veteran Marlon Humphrey, Wiggins led the team in pass deflections, making his presence felt on the outside against elite opposing NFL wide receivers. Nevertheless, the franchise doubled back in the 2025 NFL Draft by selecting another potent young talent in Malaki Starks just a week ago. Having built the confidence to play at the NFL level through trial in the previous postseason, Wiggins should be prone to make an even bigger impact in season two.
As we all know, the Ravens began the 2024 NFL season ranked near the bottom of the NFL in pass yards allowed per game. Struggling to commit to man coverage, defensive coordinator Zach Orr worked to identify ways to implement combo coverages. Wiggins was often responsible for covering one-on-one, while teammate Marlon Humphrey would frequently cover the underneath slot wide receivers to take away easy throws for opposing quarterbacks.
Wiggins, having already enjoyed the company of safety Kyle Hamilton and A'darius Washington, will now be accompanied by a sizable threat in Starks, who may be deployed in defensive coordinator Zach Orr's Big Nickel package. The upside for the Ravens' defense this upcoming season is limitless, and if things manifest to their potential, the way they appear on paper, this will greatly help them down the stretch.
Ultimately, Wiggins is likely to bulk up over the summer through conditioning, thus propelling him to be an even better player in the years to come.