Baltimore Ravens make Nate Wiggins a first-round pick in 2024 NFL Draft. Why Clemson star is worth it
Confidence has never been a problem for Nate Wiggins.
In fact, even as a freshman at Clemson he declared himself the fastest player on the team.
“Nobody can outrun me,” Wiggins said.
Really, Nate?
“For real,” he said.
“For real” soon became Wiggins’ catch phrase, and the future got even more real for the gifted cornerback Thursday night when he was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
Wiggins was the 30th overall pick, making him the fifth Clemson cornerback to be drafted in the first round all-time and the first to go that early since A.J. Terrell was tabbed by the Atlanta Falcons at No. 16 in 2020.
Those two Atlanta-area products (both alums of Westlake High School) are among the latest in a growing lineage of standout defensive backs at Clemson. Wiggins is the 17th defensive back and the 10th Clemson cornerback to be drafted since Dabo Swinney was named the Tigers’ coach at the end of the 2008 regular season.
We’ve known for quite some time that Wiggins possessed the physical attributes that are coveted by NFL scouts – length, instincts, ball skills and smooth movement.
Oh, and let’s not forget speed, which is what makes him the top cornerback in this year’s draft.
Don’t believe me? Just ask him.
When then-Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei called Wiggins one of the best defensive backs in the country prior to the 2022 season, Wiggins wholeheartedly embraced the assessment.
“I don’t think he lied or nothing,” Wiggins said. “I feel like I am the best DB. Y’all are going to see this year. I got a show for you.”
Turns out, he was right.
Wiggins capped a breakout season with an MVP-type performance in the ACC Championship Game against North Carolina. He broke up two Drake Maye passes and intercepted another, which he returned 98 yards for a touchdown – the longest play in ACC Championship game history.
But the play that underscored both his speed and gumption came last season, again against North Carolina, when he tracked down running back Omarion Hampton and stripped him of the ball just shy of the goal line, turning a sure-fire touchdown into a touchback.
Swinney called it “one of the greatest football plays I’ve ever seen.”
Wiggins, on the other hand, saw it coming.
“I’m a fast guy,” he said. “I knew I was going to catch him.”
Wiggins continued to distinguish himself in what appears to be a rather stacked class of cornerbacks in this draft by clocking a 4.28 time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. It was the fastest time among cornerbacks and Wiggins hit a top speed of 24.05 mph, which means he could outrun a mongoose or giant panda should that need ever arise.
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But Wiggins, 20, also possesses what may be the two most important ingredients for an NFL cornerback: A short-term memory and a healthy dose of attitude.
Brash and cocky and a big talker in a 173-pound package, the supremely confident Wiggins proved himself time and again. Often matched up against an opponent’s top receiver, he emerged with positive results more often than not.
Last season against Florida State Wiggins did not allow a reception by Keon Coleman or Johnny Wilson on five targets. Over the course of the entire season, he allowed only 18 completions on 41 targets, with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Now it’s on the NFL, where the talent is greater, the stakes are higher and young cornerbacks are the first to be tested.
No worries. Wiggins says he’ll keep right on talking.
“That’s me all the way,” Wiggins said. “There’s gonna be a lot of that with me. You gotta stay tuned.”
For real.
Scott Keepfer covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at skeepfer@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ScottKeepfer
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why Baltimore Ravens picked Nate Wiggins of Clemson in 2024 NFL Draft
