Latest news with #NateWiggins
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nate Wiggins garners respect from one of the NFL's sharpest minds
Whether you're a fan of the Clemson Tigers or not, it's hard to imagine that there can be a ton of ways to make 25 seconds more exciting. Before every home game, the guys in orange and purple touch Howard's Rock for luck and run down the hill to begin play in Memorial Stadium a.k.a. 'Death Valley'. It's a scene that Baltimore Ravens star Nate Wiggins knows very well. Drafted by Baltimore as the 30th overall selection in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, Wiggins came highly recommended. Three years at Clemson culminated in a First-team All-ACC mention to close the 2023 college football season. Advertisement No one denies Wiggins' talent, but he has flown under the radar nationally. Fellow rookie cornerbacks stole the spotlight. Beanie Bishop Jr. of the rival Pittsburgh Steelers picked off four passes. Quinyon Mitchell earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors, as did Mitchell's teammate, Cooper DeJean. The latter also intercepted Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. Sometimes consistency can be ignored for flashier moments. That isn't to say the other guys mentioned weren't consistent. It's just intended to state that Wiggins was as well, and we don't mention him as often as we should. That can happen on a roster as loaded as Baltimore's. Think about it. He shares the secondary with an All-Pro (Kyle Hamilton) and the most exciting safety of the current rookie class (Malaki Starks). All were first-round draftees. All are worth getting excited about. Advertisement Wiggins has gotten a lot of burn this offseason. He's been mentioned as a breakout candidate. Marc Ross made this claim three months ago. His colleague at Bucky Brooks, did so as the Ravens open training camp. His 2025 All-Breakout Team features the Ravens star as one of the two cornerbacks. "The feisty cover corner held his own on the island in a blitz-happy scheme that puts immense pressure on defensive backs to win their one-on-one matchups. Wiggins finished his rookie campaign with an interception, 13 passes defensed and a 47.8 percent completion rate allowed, per NGS. Most importantly, the ultra-competitive defender displayed the skill, confidence and grittiness to shadow WR1s with minimal help from deep defenders. As the Ravens look to take the next step as a title contender, they will need Wiggins and free-agent signee Jaire Alexander to flourish as lockdown defenders." Rounding out the rest of Brooks' secondary are fellow cornerbacks Terrion Arnold (Detroit Lions) and Tarheeb Hill (Los Angeles Chargers). Cole Bishop (Buffalo Bills) and Tykee Smith (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) are the safeties. Year two is a big one for Mr. Wiggins. Another season and the experience gained from his rookie campaign should fuel another successful run. He could step into the spotlight as one of the game's best and brightest, a title that we expect him to carry for a while. This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: NFL voice makes clear statement about Nate Wiggins' ceiling
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Nate Wiggins garners respect from one of the NFL's sharpest minds
One of the NFL's brightest offers some high praise for Ravens star Nate Wiggins. Whether you're a fan of the Clemson Tigers or not, it's hard to imagine that there can be a ton of ways to make 25 seconds more exciting. Before every home game, the guys in orange and purple touch Howard's Rock for luck and run down the hill to begin play in Memorial Stadium a.k.a. 'Death Valley'. It's a scene that Baltimore Ravens star Nate Wiggins knows very well. Drafted by Baltimore as the 30th overall selection in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, Wiggins came highly recommended. Three years at Clemson culminated in a First-team All-ACC mention to close the 2023 college football season. No one denies Wiggins' talent, but he has flown under the radar nationally. Fellow rookie cornerbacks stole the spotlight. Beanie Bishop Jr. of the rival Pittsburgh Steelers picked off four passes. Quinyon Mitchell earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors, as did Mitchell's teammate, Cooper DeJean. The latter also intercepted Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. Sometimes consistency can be ignored for flashier moments. That isn't to say the other guys mentioned weren't consistent. It's just intended to state that Wiggins was as well, and we don't mention him as often as we should. That can happen on a roster as loaded as Baltimore's. Think about it. He shares the secondary with an All-Pro (Kyle Hamilton) and the most exciting safety of the current rookie class (Malaki Starks). All were first-round draftees. All are worth getting excited about. Wiggins has gotten a lot of burn this offseason. He's been mentioned as a breakout candidate. Marc Ross made this claim three months ago. His colleague at Bucky Brooks, did so as the Ravens open training camp. His 2025 All-Breakout Team features the Ravens star as one of the two cornerbacks. "The feisty cover corner held his own on the island in a blitz-happy scheme that puts immense pressure on defensive backs to win their one-on-one matchups. Wiggins finished his rookie campaign with an interception, 13 passes defensed and a 47.8 percent completion rate allowed, per NGS. Most importantly, the ultra-competitive defender displayed the skill, confidence and grittiness to shadow WR1s with minimal help from deep defenders. As the Ravens look to take the next step as a title contender, they will need Wiggins and free-agent signee Jaire Alexander to flourish as lockdown defenders." Rounding out the rest of Brooks' secondary are fellow cornerbacks Terrion Arnold (Detroit Lions) and Tarheeb Hill (Los Angeles Chargers). Cole Bishop (Buffalo Bills) and Tykee Smith (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) are the safeties. Year two is a big one for Mr. Wiggins. Another season and the experience gained from his rookie campaign should fuel another successful run. He could step into the spotlight as one of the game's best and brightest, a title that we expect him to carry for a while.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ravens' First-Round Cornerback Could See Increased Role
Ravens' First-Round Cornerback Could See Increased Role originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins surprisingly fell to the Ravens in last year's first round, where Baltimore selected him with the 30th overall pick. Advertisement With their eye on Wiggins, DeCosta said he turned down eight offers from other teams to trade back because he knew they wanted the former Clemson corner. Wiggins didn't disappoint last season, posting 33 tackles with 25 solo while adding one interception for a touchdown and a forced fumble across 15 appearances and six starts. The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec wrote that Wiggins could be a breakout candidate for the 2025 season - Year 2 of his NFL career. "The more the 2024 first-round pick played his rookie season, the better he looked," Zrebiec wrote. "Quarterbacks had just a 66.7 quarterback rating when targeting Wiggins, who allowed only 31 receptions on 62 targets while playing 68 percent of Baltimore's defensive snaps. Wiggins' rookie season would have been even more impressive had he caught a few more of the passes that he got his hands on. Advertisement "He put on about 10 pounds of muscle this offseason, and he has a far better understanding of Baltimore's defensive plan. The Ravens believe he has star potential." At the time he was drafted, Ravens' general manager Eric DeCosta said he thought Wiggins can eventually be a true shutdown corner. "In my opinion, [he 's] the best cover corner in the draft. Highly athletic, fantastic feet," DeCosta said via ESPN. "[He's] a guy that can [become] a true shutdown-type corner." Related: Ravens Sixth-Round Pick Tabbed As Possible Surprise in 2025 Related: Ravens Place 2 Tight Ends in Top 10 ESPN Position Rankings This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ravens' Most Promising Building Block Revealed
Ravens' Most Promising Building Block Revealed originally appeared on Athlon Sports. General manager Eric DeCosta and the Baltimore Ravens feel fortunate to even have Nate Wiggins on the team. Last offseason during the 2024 NFL Draft, DeCosta couldn't believe that Wiggins fell to the late first round so they could take him with the No. 30 overall pick. Advertisement With their eye on Wiggins, DeCosta said he turned down eight offers from other teams to trade back because he knew they wanted the former Clemson corner. Wiggins didn't disappoint last season, posting 33 tackles with 25 solo while adding one interception for a touchdown and a forced fumble across 15 appearances and six starts. Now, Bleacher Report believes Wiggins is the Ravens' "most promising building block entering 2025." "The Baltimore Ravens signed two-time Pro Bowler Jaire Alexander, though that shouldn't impact Nate Wiggins' playing time when the defense lines up in nickel alignment with three cornerbacks," B/R wrote. "Marlon Humphrey and Alexander have experience in the slot. Wiggins should have opportunities to make plays on the boundary as he did in his rookie campaign. While on the field for 68 percent of the defensive snaps last season, Wiggins recorded 13 pass breakups and an interception while allowing a 50 percent completion rate and a 66.7 passer rating in coverage. Advertisement "With Alexander's recent injury history, missing 10 games in back-to-back seasons, don't be surprised if Wiggins is the Ravens' second-most reliable cornerback this year. Wiggins and Humphrey are a top-two cornerback duo." At the time he was drafted, DeCosta said he thinks Wiggins can eventually be a true shutdown corner. "In my opinion, [he's] the best cover corner in the draft. Highly athletic, fantastic feet," DeCosta said via ESPN. "[He's] a guy that can [become] a true shutdown-type corner." Related: Ravens WR Reveals He 'Could Be That Piece' Related: Ravens Hilariously Named Biggest Losers of Jalen Ramsey Trade This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kyle Hamilton: Jaire Alexander is a "great addition" to Ravens' secondary
Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton is thrilled that Baltimore signed cornerback Jaire Alexander last week. "Great addition," Hamilton said, via "He's been one of the best in this league since he got in it. To have anybody like that, no matter what position, especially as a DB, it's super valuable." Advertisement Alexander arrives in Baltimore after seven years in Green Bay, where he was the Packers' first-round pick in 2018. The Ravens will play with a very talented secondary featuring five first-round picks on the field at the same time this season: Alexander and Ravens 2024 first-round pick Nate Wiggins at cornerback, 2021 first-round pick Hamilton at strong safety, 2025 first-round pick Malaki Starks at free safety and 2017 first-round pick Marlon Humphrey at cornerback. With that kind of talent, the Ravens have invested as heavily in their secondary as any team in the league, and they expect the results to speak for themselves.
