Ravens Have No Concerns With Undersized Rookie CB

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins was labeled as undersized by critics, but the team isn't worried.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 29, 2024

Nov 25, 2023; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers cornerback Nate Wiggins (2) battles for / Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

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Baltimore Ravens

One of the traits that knocked Baltimore Ravens first-round cornerback Nate Wiggins in the pre-draft process was his size.

Wiggins stands 6-1 and weighs at about 180 pounds, which isn't a huge issue in college, but could be on the NFL level. However, the Ravens never saw that as a reason to not take him with the No. 30 overall pick.

"He's only 20 years old. I was a kinesiology major, and they say a full man doesn't stop growing until like 27 years old. He's got a lot of time to grow," defensive coordinator Zach Orr said. "We have a great strength staff, nutritionist and everything like that. On tape, I didn't see anything about him being undersized as anything that we critiqued. He flew up, set the edge in the run game, played physical with receivers at the line of scrimmage, came up, tackled, getting the ball off people, so he played like a Raven. We have no concerns about that at all."

Teams in the past have overlooked size, and sometimes it has come back to bite them. In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders selected Emmanuel Forbes in the first round after he set an NCAA record for the most pick-sixes in a career. However, he struggled in his rookie year as a 166-pound cornerback against stronger receivers. Forbes is working towards bulking up for the NFL game, but it comes with its own set of challenges.

Wiggins could experience a similar trajectory, but as Orr said, they like what they saw on tape and they figure the growth will take care of itself. Wiggins has certain traits in his game that are hard to teach, and that's why the Ravens made the decision to take him when they did.

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Published Apr 29, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.