The Baltimore Ravens selected Clemson defensive back Nate Wiggins with the No. 30 pick in Thursday’s first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
A two-year starter for the Tigers, Wiggins grabbed headlines at the NFL Scouting Combine with his 4.28 40-yard dash, the fastest by any defensive player in Indianapolis and second only to Texas wideout Xavier Worthy’s 4.21. Wiggins suffered a hip flexor injury during the 40 and pulled out of the remaining workouts.
Wiggins led the Tigers in pass breakups each of the last two years. He earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2023 as a key part of a Clemson defense that finished top 10 in yards per play and top five in yards per pass attempt in the FBS. Notably, he also accounted for two of the 16 interceptions in the college career of North Carolina quarterback (and New England Patriots’ first-round pick) Drake Maye.
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‘The Beast’ breakdown
Wiggins ranked No. 25 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide: Wiggins’ slight frame and suspect play strength are legitimate concerns, but he is a fast and fluid athlete with the cover awareness and on-ball production to be a starting perimeter corner in the NFL. He projects as a longtime NFL starter with tools like Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
Coaching intel
What an anonymous coach had to say about Nix in Bruce Feldman’s mock draft:
“I think he’s the best kid we played. I love that kid. Love his effort, how he competes. Great speed. Great burst, and he plays hard. He’s got the measurables. I think he’s an All-Pro-caliber player.”
Why he’s a first-round pick
By now you have heard about the raw speed.
Oh my, Nate Wiggins. 4.29u. Wow.
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/sgCVDjfADE— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2024
But Wiggins is more than a pure burner, using those elite wheels in clutch moments several times throughout his college career. In the 2022 ACC championship Game, he took a gift interception from Maye 98 yards the other way from a game-icing touchdown. Then in Clemson’s 2023 meeting with the Tar Heels, he ran down running back Omarion Hampton from behind and forced a fumble at the goal line in a game the Tigers would win.
Come back for more analysis of Nate Wiggins later.
(Photo: Ken Ruinard / USA Today)
