It’s hard to call Nate Wiggins’ first season with the Ravens anything but a rousing success.

After being selected by Baltimore in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, big things were expected from Wiggins in his first season in the league.

While it may have taken a few weeks for the former Clemson standout to fully settle in, Wiggins really started to shine on the backend of the Ravens’ defense over the second half of the season and defensive coordinator Zach Orr certainly took notice.

“Playing outside corner in this league is a challenge,” Orr said recently. “You’re going against elite receivers, elite quarterbacks. There’s no room for error. And once he understood that, once he started focusing on his technique and approach, you saw the growth, week by week.”

And Orr expects even more from Wiggins in year number two.

“He was really lockdown for us,” Orr added. “He’s a big piece of our defense, and we expect him to be one of the best corners in the National Football League.”

As a rookie, Wiggins appeared in 15 games, with six starts. He totaled 33 tackles, had 13 passes defended, forced one fumble and picked off a pass that he returned for a touchdown. On the season, opposing receivers had just one touchdown catch against him.

Those are pretty stout numbers for a corner who wasn’t a full-time starter, and if he takes the jump most are expecting, the Ravens should once again feature one of the NFL’s better defenses in 2025.

“He has the ability, the talent, and the work ethic,” Orr said. “Now it’s on us to help him take that jump. And I’m confident he will.”

Photo courtesy of Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports