Premier speed and playmaking ability always come at a premium in the NFL Draft, and in the 2024 cycle, few CB prospects have more of each trait than Clemson’s Nate Wiggins. Where does Wiggins rank in the stacked 2024 NFL Draft CB class?
Nate Wiggins Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’1 5/8″
- Weight: 182 pounds
- Length: 30 1/2″
- Wingspan: 74 1/4″
- Hand: 9″
- Position: Cornerback
- School: Clemson
- Current Year: Junior
Wiggins joined up with the Clemson Tigers just a couple of years after A.J. Terrell was drafted from the program as a first-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons. Terrell has now developed into an NFL All-Pro, and some believe Wiggins can follow the same path.
Wiggins first made his mark with the Tigers in 2022, amassing 13 pass deflections and an interception in a breakout sophomore campaign. He returned as an All-ACC performer in 2023, and while an ankle injury caused him to miss some time, he was lights-out on the field.
Top returning CBs (passes defended vs P5 opposition) for the 2023 #CollegeFootball season:
1⃣ Kalen King, Penn State (17 PDs) 📸
2⃣ Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama (15 PDs)
3⃣ Nate Wiggins, Clemson (13 PDs)
4⃣ Cobee Bryant, Kansas (12 PDs)
5⃣ A.J. Woods, Pitt (12 PDs) pic.twitter.com/PmmY19SL0a— College Football Network (@CFN365) August 9, 2023
Playing in 10 games across the 2023 season, Wiggins accumulated a sack, two interceptions, six pass breakups, and two forced fumbles, and his best game came against Florida State, where he went up against potential early-round prospects like Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson.
Wiggins’ production makes clear that playmaking comes very naturally to him. And as he showed at the NFL Combine with his blistering 4.28-second 40-yard dash, he also has the speed to recover ground and blanket vertical threats.
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How does Wiggins’ speed and instinct as a disruptor impact his NFL projection, and how does he build around those central traits? Let’s take a closer look.
Nate Wiggins Scouting Report
Strengths
- Tall, lean cornerback with excellent efficiency of motion and disruptive range.
- Throttles up with searing closing speed and explosiveness on click-and-close reps.
- Has the elite long speed to run with vertical threats and minimize separation.
- Elastic short-area athlete with great foot quickness, twitch, and corrective mobility.
- Has the hinge fluidity to swivel around at stems and accelerate freely on transitions.
- Adaptable mover who can tempo his pedal and transition from kick-slides in off-man.
- Recognizes routes and reacts to breaks swiftly, allowing him to undercut passes.
- Patient and disciplined in off-man coverage and can suddenly snap and redirect forward.
- Has keen awareness and eye discipline in zone and can punish risk-takers at QB.
- Flashes disciplined footwork in press-man, rolling back his base while staying square.
- Able to gather WRs at stems and dictate spacing without resorting to grabbing.
- Understands leverage on the boundary and can drape receiving threats with his frame.
- Tracks and high-points passes with proficiency, using his vertical athleticism to rise.
- Reads the WR’s arms when working with his back to the ball and can react quickly.
- Able to use flexibility and targeted physicality to pry through blocks and wrap runners.
Weaknesses
- Despite taller frame, has below-average length, which can impact reach in press-man.
- Has room to add more mass to his frame and improve his overall play strength.
- Combined deficiencies with quantified length and mass can impact press-man viability.
- Sometimes gives up too much space off the line on initial steps in press coverage.
- With high-energy motion, can at times be a bit uncontrolled with his footwork.
- Occasionally plays a bit too tall at stems, inhibiting his sink and redirection efficiency.
- At times, gets his head around too early on fades, losing speed and positioning.
- On occasion, has room to improve his precision attacking the ball versus larger WRs.
- Can be outmuscled and tugged out of proper position late in reps by larger WRs.
- Sometimes struggles to get off blocks early in reps and can be easily displaced outside.
- Lighter frame does impact his ability to finish solo tackles in the open field at times.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Wiggins grades out as a top-32 prospect and a top-five CB prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s worthy of consideration late in Round 1, particularly for teams that value a balance of off-man and zone traits, as well as measured press-man upside.
Wiggins is a young and promising CB who has all of the tools to be a productive and multidisciplined cover man at the next level. At around 6’2″, 182 pounds, he’s a lean athlete with an enthralling mix of quickness, elite closing speed, fluidity, and ball skills.
Beyond that physical combination, Wiggins also has some of the best coverage instincts, eyes, reaction speed, and route recognition in the class. He can blanket WRs in off-man and click-and-close without giving up room. And on reps from space, he can transition from his pedal in zone and hawk in front of ill-fated passes.
Press-man reps are where Wiggins’ maximum projection is still unclear. He has disciplined footwork and can use targeted physicality, and his adaptable mobility is a big plus. But he sometimes gets drawn too far upfield by releases, and his play strength can improve at the line.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Draft Big Board
Run support is also an area of needed improvement for Wiggins, whose lean frame gets him in trouble against blocks. But overall, Wiggins is a well-rounded prospect with the athletic and mental tools to be an impact player at CB in the NFL with added scheme versatility.
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