Former Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins’s NFL dreams came true Thursday when the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Wiggins’ wait on draft night was long, but it was well worth it. With the No. 30 overall pick, the Ravens snagged Wiggins, adding him to a contender where he can make an immediate impact. Many had Wiggins going ahead of 30, with the Ravens taking advantage of him falling into their laps.
Following the first round, legendary head coach Nick Saban praised Wiggins and his potential.,
“Nate is a really, really good athlete, a really good player, he he’s got all the cover skills. He’s very aggressive. A very aggressive player. I think he’s got to get a little stronger, get a little more physical so he doesn’t get pushed around but this guy is a really good athlete. He’s got good ball skills. He will tackle. Yeah, he can play man to man,” Saban said.
“I think emotionally he’s got to mature a little bit, which when you’re playing corner, man, you got to forget about the last play. You got to have etch and sketch man, because you’re going to get beat and there’s nobody that plays that position doesn’t get beat every now and then. So you got to be able to play the next play.”
During his time with the Tigers, Wiggins was credited by the coaching staff with 50 tackles (3.0 for loss), 24 pass breakups, three interceptions (including two returned for touchdowns), two forced fumbles, a sack and a blocked field goal in 1,377 career snaps over 34 games (18 starts) from 2021-23. In his final season with the Tigers, Wiggins recorded 25 tackles (one for loss), a team-high nine pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one sack and two interceptions across 10 games (seven starts).
We can’t wait to see what he can do at the next level.