Ravens Rookie Opens Up Before First Career Game

Baltimore Ravens rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins faces a huge test in his first regular season game.

Aug 9, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver John Ross (83) makes catch in front of Baltimore Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins (2) during the first quarter of a preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Ravens rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins gave fans a tasty appetizer in the preseason, and now it's finally time for the main course.

Wiggins, the No. 30 overall pick in this year's draft, dazzled in his preseason debut against the Philadelphia Eagles, breaking up three passes on the first drive alone. He unfortunately left that game with a shoulder injury and the Ravens kept him under wraps for the rest of the preseason, but it was more than enough to turn heads across the league.

Now it's just a matter of days until Wiggins makes his regular-season debut, and he couldn't be more hyped for it.

"I can't tell you how excited I am right now," Wiggins told reporters, per the team's site. "I've been working all my life for it, so I'm ready to just put on a show for everybody."

Wiggins, who just turned 21 last week, ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, the second-fastest time of any player. As fate would have it, his first game comes against the one player who ran faster than him in Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who set a Combine record 4.21-second 40-yard dash. If the two rookies match up against each other often, it will be a track meet for the ages.

"I mean, speed versus speed," Wiggins said. "I guess we're going to see who's faster."

It's not just Worthy Wiggins will have to worry about. The Chiefs' offense has weapons all over the field, and the league's best quarterback in Patrick Mahomes is the one leading the charge. However, Wiggins welcomes that challenge in his first career game.

"I mean, it brings a lot of joy," Wiggins said. "In my first game, going against [someone] considered one of the best quarterbacks that ever played a game, I mean, that's a lot. I'm not going to face nobody better than him. I mean, just get it out of the way. I feel like it's a good thing for me."

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