Wiggins selected by Baltimore at No. 30
The Clemson Tigers have their first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Thursday night former Tiger cornerback Nate Wiggins came off the board as the 30th pick overall by the Baltimore Ravens. Wiggins had been widely projected as a first-round selection.
Wiggins represents the 18th first-rounder for Clemson in the Dabo Swinney era. Last year the Tigers had two players taken in round one in defensive linemen Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee.
Clemson now has at least one first-round draft choice in 10 of the last 12 years and at least one top 50 pick in 17 of the last 19 drafts.
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Wiggins, the 78th player drafted under Swinney, was a first-team All-ACC member last fall and started in each of the last two seasons. The Atlanta (Ga.) native finished his Clemson career with 18 starts, 60 tackles and three interceptions.
Wiggins, who declared his intentions to bypass his senior year to enter the draft on November 29, helped his cause with scouts in February by turning in a blistering 4.28-second, 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
Rivals.com billed Wiggins four stars out of high school in 2021, ranked 12th nationally among cornerback prospects and 153rd nationally overall regardless of position. The former Westlake standout originally committed to LSU in August of 2020 before ultimately pledging to Clemson in mid-December.
Clemson has now had at least one player selected in the draft for 22 straight years.
Head Coach Dabo Swinney on Wiggins' selection: “Nate is as talented as we’ve ever had come through here at his position from a skill set standpoint. Really, really fast. He’s really honed his craft from when I first met him. He’s a really competitive kid, and how he channeled his competitiveness, he’s really developed.
"(Cornerbacks Coach) Mike Reed has done a great job with him these past three years. I’m really proud of this kid because he’s grown a lot. What I love most about Nate is that this guy is as tough as they come. He’s a guy that is unbelievably competitive when he steps on the field and he plays with a high motor. You saw that firsthand with plays he made against Miami and North Carolina where both plays were basically over, but because of his extra effort, he ended up causing fumbles. That’s what you’ve got to love about a guy like him.
"He’s got length, he’s got speed, he’s got the technique, he’s got good ball skills, but to me, it’s his love of football. He really, really loves to compete and he’s not afraid to be physical at corner. He’s got rare attributes that you don’t always see in a defensive back.”
Assistant Head Coach/Cornerbacks Coach Mike Reed on Wiggins' selection: “Nate is an extremely gifted young man, and it was a pleasure to coach him. He loves to play ball. Very competitive and athletic. When you think of Nate, you think of speed and explosiveness. [He is] a true athlete. The fastest young man that I have coached. His skill set will transition to the NFL very quickly and he will be a major contributor on the field as well as in the community.”
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