Coming off a strong rookie campaign in 2024, Baltimore Ravens cornerback and former Clemson star Nate Wiggins is setting a high bar for himself heading into his sophomore NFL season.
Wiggins recently joined the Ravens “The Lounge” podcast and shared a big personal goal of his – he wants to record 10-plus takeaways in 2025.
“Just really get 10-plus turnovers, no matter [if it is] interceptions, forced fumbles. I need 10-plus,” he said. “And really just keep on [doing] what I did last year, just coverage wise, and be an all-around cornerback.”
With his sights set on accomplishing that, Wiggins arrived to the Ravens’ offseason program as a stronger version of himself. He’s made an effort to put on weight this offseason and has added 10 pounds since last season, thanks in part to working with Ravens Director of Sports Nutrition Sarah Snyder on a near-every-day basis.
“Last season to now, I gained 10 pounds, so I’m feeling great right now,” Wiggins said. “I feel like this year is just going to be more power, more strength. I’m still trending to gain more pounds.”
After being drafted by the Ravens with the 30th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, Wiggins saw his role steadily increase throughout last season, and by season’s end, he established himself as a quality starter.
After limited playing time in the early going, and some struggles with penalties, Wiggins continued to improve over the course of the campaign as he got more and more comfortable as an NFL corner.
By the time the postseason rolled around, Wiggins had carved out a significant role in the Ravens’ secondary and was playing really well while seeing plenty of action on the field.
In 15 regular season games, Wiggins tallied 33 tackles, 13 passes defended, a forced fumble and his first career interception – a pick-six in Baltimore’s Week 18 win over the Cleveland Browns. The former first-team All-ACC selection added six more tackles and a quarterback hit in two playoff games.
Having flashed his potential during a promising rookie season, Wiggins’ future looks very bright, and Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr has made it clear he expects Wiggins to make a major leap in Year 2 and become one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks.
According to Orr and Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, Wiggins is locking in and focusing on all the little details in order to be great at his position.
“I thought Nate did a great job going to work this offseason, putting weight on. That’s a testament to him and the strength coaches coming up with a great plan, and obviously he followed it. The weight is real, so that’s good to see,” Orr told reporters recently.
“But what I see him focusing on now, he’s more locked in on his fundamentals and technique on a more consistent basis. Last year, I felt he got to that point towards the middle, end of the season. But last year he was just running like a chicken with his head cut off, trying to figure out what to do. Now he understands the system, he understands the defense. He’s been in the league for a year. He understands formations from offenses, so now he can really hone in on his technique. That guy right there, [if] he takes his technique to another level on a consistent basis, the sky’s the limit for him.”
–Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke-Imagn Images