Ex-Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins had a huge advocate in his corner during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Dabo Swinney, his now former head coach, worked hard to ensure that Wiggins wasn't left on the board after the first 32 picks.
It certainly worked. The Baltimore Ravens selected Wiggins at No. 30 overall, turning down several trade offers in the process.
"We were getting texts from the head coach," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said during his post-draft press conference. "Dabo was texting us during the first round (saying), 'Please take this guy.'"
In truth, the Ravens had their eyes on Wiggins well before Swinney could intercede. DeCosta called Wiggins the "best corner" in the draft, and Baltimore told Wiggins during the pre-draft process that they would select him if he was available at No. 30.
"Honestly, I didn't think that Nate would be there for us," DeCosta said. "We thought there might be a chance, and then you start to see the run on corners in the 20's. You start to get antsy. The phone was ringing, we had a lot of different potential trade possibilities. But for us, it was always, 'If Nate is there, we are going to pick.'"
It's not hard to see why the Ravens would be excited about Wiggins' potential. He measured in at 6-foot-1 and 173 pounds at the NFL Combine and then ran a blazing-fast 4.28-second 40-yard dash, the second-fastest mark among all players regardless of position.
At Clemson, Wiggins was consistently one of the most productive cornerbacks in the ACC. A first-team All-ACC selection in 2023, he finished the year with 29 total tackles, two forced fumbles, eight pass deflections and two interceptions despite starting only seven games due to injury. He has 25 total pass breakups from the last two years.
