There’s no question that the Baltimore Ravens went through a major identity crisis on defense in 2025. Their play was absolutely horrendous. It wasn’t NFL-caliber whatsoever. However, they made the necessary moves to push that unit back in the right direction in 2026.
The key catalysts for a potential shift are obvious. From the hiring of Jesse Minter, the Trey Hendrickson signing, and even other additions like Calais Campbell and Jaylinn Hawkins, Baltimore’s levels of talent and IQ appear to be miles better than what they were last year. There are also a number of starters who could make a game-changing jump.
If you were to ask any Ravens fan which player needs a top-10 type of breakout the most this season, all of them should say Nate Wiggins. He needs to be the top guy in the corner room. And if OTAs are any sign, he’s taking those strides.
Baltimore Ravens’ future star showing signs of major breakout leap at OTAs
The Ravens have now completed two weeks of OTAs, and in Week 2 of that program, Nate Wiggins was one of the names in the headlines. In a piece for BaltimoreRavens.com, Ryan Mink highlighted 10 standouts from last week, and Wiggins was one of the guys he mentioned. Mink wrote:
“Wiggins picked off [Lamar] Jackson when the cornerback dropped into zone coverage and got underneath an outside route. Wiggins, who is off to a hot start this offseason, has the talent to make the leap into the top 10 at his position in the NFL this fall.”
You have to be doing something right when you’re picking off Lamar Jackson. Sure, it’s just OTAs, but maybe that’s a sign of what’s to come.
Wiggins becoming top-10 in 2026 might be a bit overambitious. He’s struggled to maintain consistency up to this point in his NFL career. Mink’s right, though. The talent is there.
The 2024 first-round pick has a lot of the key aspects you want in your CB1. He’s got elite ball skills and athleticism, and although he’s a bit slimmer at 182 pounds, he has the necessary stature and length at 6-foot-1. You can’t teach all that. If he can refine his skills, he could turn the corner. And boy, does he need to turn that corner.
After what the secondary looked like last year, a major leap from Wiggins is crucial. Sure, Jesse Minter can help fill in the cracks with his defensive mastery, but he’s going to need all the help he can get from his cornerbacks. Wiggins should be the one who takes the lead. It needs to be the young rising star over the veterans, Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie.
In 2025, it felt like the flashes were there for the 22-year-old. However, he was stuck in Zach Orr’s system, which was disastrous from the get-go. There were very few areas of Orr’s game plan that you could look at and say it was a well-structured scheme. It played a role in Wiggins giving up the second-most yards among corners. Thankfully, those flashes of greatness could turn to lasting bursts under a defensive genius like Minter.
The name of the game for Wiggins in 2026 will be consistency. As fans look for him to become a star in his third-year, he’ll need to limit separation and become a bigger factor at the catch point. He has the talent to do so. It’s time to show up every Sunday against WR1s.
Add us as a preferred source on Google