The Baltimore Ravens already had one of the best secondaries in the league thanks to the presence of the game’s best young safety in Kyle Hamilton. The Ravens decided to reinforce their strength in that area by selecting Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Ravens may have picked Wiggins due to his tremendous coverage ability, but they are also well aware of the fact it will take some time before he is a first-rate starter in the pros. In addition to him being barely over 180 pounds despite his 6-2 frame, Wiggins is only 20 years old.
The challenge the Ravens have created for themselves is figuring out the best way to maximize their new great project without putting too much on his plate early on. If there are any forms of growing pains that pop up at inopportune times, Hamilton reminded everyone that Wiggins is an unusually young player for the NFL.
“He can’t even drink yet,” Hamilton said, via ESPN. “If he gives up a bad play, you got to have that in the back of your mind, he can’t have a Mike’s Hard Lemonade.” Wiggins is just 20 years old, and he will only turn 21 just a few days before his NFL debut against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton has awesome quote describing Nate Wiggins
Hamilton knows that hype does not guarantee instant success, as the former Notre Dame star had an up-and-down rookie season. While there will be some lows with a skinny rookie like Wiggins, everything else about his profile suggests he will be a first-rate performer in the NFL relatively soon.
Wiggins was timed at 4.28 in the 40-yard dash, and he allowed just one catch over 20 yards with zero touchdowns surrendered during his final season at Clemson. The primary cause that led to him falling out of the top half of the draft was his frame.
Linebacker Trenton Simpson, who played with Wiggins during his college days at Clemson, gave a strong endorsement of his speed by declaring, “Nobody’s going to run past Nate Wiggins.” That speed is one of the main reasons Baltimore will expect him to play a big role in their secondary during the 2024 season.
Wiggins may go through the regular ups and downs most rookies will experience, but that shouldn’t be too concerning for the Ravens. He was elite at Clemson, and he has the tools to be elite in the pros.