The Houston Texans won’t be on the clock in the 2024 NFL draft until late in the first round thanks to their trade with the Cleveland Browns, but that doesn’t mean they can’t find a quality player at No. 23.
While some mock drafts predict the Texans will go offensive line, NFL.com Eric Edholm has Houston going in a different direction. He wrote that the Texans will draft Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with the pick.
“There’s a strong case for using this selection to upgrade the talent around C.J. Stroud on offense, but the Texans also have some pressing defensive needs to consider,” Edholm wrote. “CB Steven Nelson is a free agent-to-be. Wiggins would give Houston a long, athletically gifted complement to Derek Stingley Jr.”
It should be noted that in this draft, Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims is the only other lineman available at this pick. The other top options like Washington’s Troy Fautanu and Penn State’s Olu Fashanu were already taken.
So in this case, Wiggins would likely be the best player available for a position of need for Houston. That also implies that the Texans don’t keep Nelson or find a suitable replacement in free agency.
If this comes to pass, the Texans would get one of the top cornerbacks in this year’s class. Wiggins finished his three-year college career with two interceptions, 21 defended passes, two forced fumbles and 60 combined tackles. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the No. 2 cornerback in the draft behind Iowa’s Cooper DeJean, who went two picks later to the Green Bay Packers in Edholm’s draft.
ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. noted Wiggins’ length and athleticism as reasons to be excited about his potential at the next level.
“The ball skills, the ability to not get those interference penalties late is what I think impressed me, and also the hustle he showed,” Kiper said. “I mean, he tracked down [North Carolina running back Omarion] Hampton when he was running for a touchdown and caused that fumble, and really was a key play in that football game. So, just the attitude, the approach, the confidence that he played with late in his career was really impressive.”
Here is the play Kiper mentioned (Wiggins is No. 2):
Oh man, watch the speed from Nate Wiggins to chase down RB Hampton and knock the ball out. Turned a TD into a turnover and Clemson ball.
Made a similar play in the Miami game. Speed, speed, speed. pic.twitter.com/kqVT8F8rNN
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) November 18, 2023
Those are truly impressive skills – both with his speed and his ball-swiping skills. Wiggins would be a solid addition to the Texans secondary alongside Stingley, especially if Nelson leaves in free agency.
The draft board could fall this way, too, which wouldn’t necessarily be an awful thing for the Texans.