The Baltimore Ravens showed glimpses of how good their secondary can be in their preseason debut against the Philadelphia Eagles. With Nate Wiggins knocking down three passes in a span of four plays, he looks like someone who could morph into a star next to Kyle Hamilton.
While the Ravens would like nothing more than to get back on track in the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs by unveiling this new-look unit, a shoulder injury suffered by Wiggins in the opener and a lower left leg injury from Hamilton sent the fanbase into a state of panic.
While losing either one of these two, particularly Hamilton, would be enough to blunt whatever momentum Baltimore had going into the regular season. John Harbaugh calmed everyone down when he confirmed that neither of them have suffered any serious injuries.
Harbaugh said that Hamilton appears to be “fine” and implied that Wiggins’ injury is not something that will cost him any games at the beginning of the regular season. The Ravens invested a lot of developmental energy and resources into their secondary, and injuries would be the biggest buzzkill imaginable.
Ravens DBs Kyle Hamilton, Nate Wiggins avoid serious injury ahead of preseason Week 2
It can be reasonably argued that the much-hyped Hamilton was the best safety in the NFL last year despite it being just his second season. Showing skill as a blitzer, tackler, and coverage man, Hamilton and veteran Marcus Williams make up the best combination of safeties in the league.
Wiggins slid a bit in the 2024 NFL Draft after teams got concerned about his skinny frame, but the Ravens are placing a bet on his spectacular coverage ability and blazing 4.28 speed. While it was just a preseason game, Wiggins seemed to be a cut above the rest of the receivers he was playing against.
Wiggins will join Hamilton, Williams, and two established starting cornerbacks in Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens as the Ravens try to reaffirm their status as championship contenders. It will be hard for anyone to throw on that secondary, especially if Wiggins is everything the scouts believe he will be.
The Ravens just need to put the rest of their starters in bubble wrap until the season starts. We know Hamilton is good, and Wiggins has already flashed. The main goal now is getting to Kansas City without something drastic happening.