The Baltimore Ravens were largely applauded for drafting Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with the 30th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Wiggins is long and athletic, and some draft experts had him going earlier than 30th. In fact, even Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he was wishing that Wiggins would drop to the Ravens at the end of the first round.
And though Wiggins has already flashed his tremendous potential, making the adjustment to playing cornerback in the NFL doesn't happen overnight.
Harbaugh spoke to reporters over the weekend from minicamp and gave an honest assessment of Wiggins.
"Nate looked good," Harbaugh said.
"But you know, with a guy like that, it's not so much about coming back tomorrow, it's about being better tomorrow and making the transition to the pro game. As good as he looked technique-wise, there are so many things that he needs to get better at. He’s open to that.”
John Harbaugh on first-rounder Nate Wiggins: “Nate looked good. As good as he looked technique-wise, there are so many things that he needs to get better at. He’s open to that.” pic.twitter.com/mWc3XjnDzJ
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) May 4, 2024
Harbaugh said on draft night hat he thinks Wiggins is a starting-quality cornerback, but that he "has to come in and prove it and do it and all that."
Harbaugh said Wiggins was ready to work and that the Ravens have a developmental plan for him — further proof that Wiggins might not be ready for a big role from Day 1.
"He’s a motivated guy," Harbaugh said on draft night. "He’s talking about that he has a lot to prove. We both got on the phone with him and talked to him, and he’s talking about what he has to prove, so our response was, ‘Alright, let’s come in here next week, and let’s get to work. Let’s get started on it.’ He’s planning on being a hard worker, and if he does that, we’ve got a path for him. We’ve kind of got a plan for him, and we’ll have him ready to go.”
The Ravens take the long view with the draft and try to develop players with potential and sound instincts. Wiggins is a high-upside prospect, but it sounds like he has room to grow still.
