Mel Kiper Jr. recently released his first mock draft (subscription required) ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft in April, and the first cornerback that Kiper projected to be selected is Clemson’s Nate Wiggins, with Kiper pegging Wiggins to be taken by the Minnesota Vikings as the 11th overall pick.

Kiper is clearly high on Wiggins, and the ESPN senior NFL Draft analyst detailed why during a recent appearance on ACC Network’s ACC PM show.

“The NFL likes these long, athletic corners, and Wiggins, you’ve got to give him a lot of credit,” Kiper said. “He really improved during the course of his career.”

Wiggins garnered first-team All-ACC honors as a junior this past season after tallying 25 tackles (one for loss), a team-high nine pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one sack and two interceptions, including one he returned 46 yards for his second career touchdown.

One of Wiggins’ most memorable highlights in 2023 was his forced fumble in the Tigers’ win over North Carolina on Nov. 18, when the gifted 6-foot-2, 185-pounder reached 22.1 mph to chase down the ACC’s leading rusher, Omarion Hampton, from behind 64 yards downfield to strip the ball at the goal line.

Wiggins earned ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors after his stellar performance in that contest, during which he had eight tackles, a pass breakup and the game-sealing interception in addition to the touchdown-saving forced fumble.

“The ball skills, the ability to not get those interference penalties late is what I think impressed me, and also the hustle he showed,” Kiper said of Wiggins. “I mean, he tracked down Hampton when he was running for a touchdown and caused that fumble, and really was a key play in that football game. So, just the attitude, the approach, the confidence that he played with late in his career was really impressive.”

Wiggins is the No. 13 overall prospect in this year’s draft class, according to Kiper’s latest draft rankings on Jan. 26 (subscription required). Kiper has Wiggins as the second-ranked cornerback ahead of Alabama’s Terrion Arnold and behind only Iowa’s Cooper DeJean.

But DeJean missed the end of the 2023 season with a lower leg injury, and Kiper believes Wiggins certainly has a chance to be the first cornerback to hear his name called in the upcoming draft (April 25-27, Detroit).

“As I said, you’re talking about a long, athletic, 6-2 corner,” Kiper said. “Now, he’s got to hold off Cooper DeJean, who unfortunately got hurt at Iowa. You got another corner, Terrion Arnold, if he runs well at his Pro Day or at the combine, he could be right in that mix to be the first cornerback off the board.

“So, it’s not etched in stone, cemented in that he’s going to be the first cornerback off the board. But I think because of DeJean’s injury, and the fact that Arnold is versatile and a heck of a player – but Wiggins is a true, pure cover corner. He may get the edge and could go as high as 11, certainly in the top 15 overall.”

In his career at Clemson from 2021-23, Wiggins recorded 50 tackles (3.0 for loss), 24 pass breakups, three interceptions (including two returned for touchdowns), two forced fumbles, a sack and a blocked field goal over 34 games (18 starts).