Nate Wiggins' dominant Ravens debut makes rest of the NFL look like fools

The Baltimore Ravens were regarded as one of the biggest winners of the 2024 NFL Draft when they used the No. 30 pick in Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins. While he had concerns about his skinny frame, nearly every draft analyst was stunned that he was still available at No. 30 overall.

Wiggins plans to be a featured part of possibly the league's best secondary alongside veteran mentor Marlon Humphrey and the NFL's top safety duo of Marcus Williams and All-Pro Kyle Hamilton. Wiggins was ready to make his Ravens debut against the Philadelphia Eagles in the preseason.

It took Wiggins all of one day to show the rest of the football world he can play. Wiggins would show exceptional cover skills to knock down a pass from Kenny Pickett on first down. That would be impressive enough as is, considering he was matched up against 6-7 Johnny Wilson, but Wiggins kept getting better.

The fired-up Wiggins would follow that up with another pass breakup on the following play. The Eagles decided to go for it on 4th-and-8 on their first drive, and it was Wiggins who again knocked the ball away and forced a turnover on downs. Just one drive into his professional career, Wiggins looks like the same star he was at Clemson.

Nate Wiggins records three pass breakups on one drive in first Ravens game

Coverage skills were never the issue for Wiggins. He did not allow a touchdown during his final season at Clemson, and new Ravens teammate Devontez Walker became the only player who recorded a catch of more than 20 yards against him last season.

With proven 4.28 speed on top of excellent man-coverage ability, Wiggins looked like a player who could have been the first cornerback off the board. His lack of great size, as he is just over 180 pounds despite standing 6-2, may have scared some teams.

If Wiggins is able to keep this type of play up in the regular season, the fact nearly the entire league passed on him could look even more foolish than it does now. Cornerback is a brutal position for rookies, but Wiggins seems to be acclimating himself very well.