Nate Wiggins, CB Clemson: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Wiggins was a four-star recruit from Westlake High School in Atlanta, Ga. in the class of 2021
Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins found his stride down the stretch of the 2022 season. The junior is still a developmental prospect, but he has the talent to secure at least a spot in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Nate Wiggins, CB Clemson: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Junior outside cornerback from Atlanta, Ga.
Background: Wiggins was a four-star recruit from Westlake High School in Atlanta, Ga. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 118 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 153 for Rivals, and No. 119 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 222nd in the nation with an 83 grade out of 100. Wiggins originally committed to LSU before flipping to Clemson. He saw carries, receptions, and special teams return opportunities for Westlake as a senior. Wiggins hauled in 11 receptions for 323 yards and four touchdowns in 2020. He played at Grady High School in Atlanta, Ga. in 2018 and 2019 before arriving at Westlake. Wiggins had 18 receptions or 262 yards and two touchdowns in 2018. He started at both cornerback and wide receiver in 2019. Wiggins also played basketball at Grady. He received an invitation to the All-American Bowl. Wiggins was born on Aug. 28, 2003.
Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 2022 Louisiana Tech game with an injury
Awards: 2022 Honorable Mention All-ACC, 2022 First Team All-ACC (College Football Network)
Pros: Special teams experience on the punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, blocked field goal vs. North Carolina (2022), significant exposure in man and zone coverage, loose hips that flip with little to no resistance, speed to stay in phase on vertical routes, quick backpedal, quick to transition from backpedal to forward drive, doesn’t fall for double moves, absorbs and takes away comeback routes, natural feel in zone coverage, awareness improved over the course of 2022, quick to drive on short routes from zone, snaps to and sticks with routes that break in front of him when he’s in zone, quick feet at the top of the stem, mirror-and-match flashes at the stem’s top, competitive when he recognizes a screen
Cons: Committed five penalties in 2022, no significant experience in the slot, lean throughout frame, questions about arm length, a little high-hipped, sits high in his backpedal, quick to open his hips from press, still developing anticipation, sometimes allows too much cushion in zone, should allow less cushion considering his athletic ability, rarely played true press, needs to develop his jam, occasionally stacked from press, acceleration isn’t elite, burn the Wake Forest tape (2022), needs to be more physical at the catch point, play strength causes issues defeating blocks, pushed around by Florida State’s Johnny Wilson in the run and screen game (2022), not a reliable or consistent run defender, inconsistent angles to the ball in the run game, not a physical tackler, dives low and doesn’t wrap up
Overview: Wiggins enters 2023 with special teams experience on the punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units. He blocked a field goal in Clemson’s ACC Championship Game win over North Carolina. Wiggins primarily played zone and off-man but also saw snaps in soft-shoe press. He moved around the defense to accommodate injuries but didn’t see significant snaps in the slot. Wiggins has loose hips that flip with little to no resistance and the speed to carry receivers vertically. His backpedal is quick but high. The former four-star recruit quickly transitions from his backpedal to forward drive to absorb and take away comeback routes. He is cautious and doesn’t fall for double moves. Wiggins displays a natural feel in zone coverage that isn’t present in his work in man coverage. The junior is quick to trigger on routes that break in front of him when he’s in zone. He immediately gets in phase once these routes break and eliminates any chance for the quarterback to deliver the ball. Wiggins is surprisingly sticky when transitioning from zone into phase. His quick feet at the top of the stem and loose hips unlock these flashes of mirror-and-match skills. Wiggins either baits quarterbacks into throws or smothers routes at the intermediate level in Cover 2. He shows a strong understanding of angles and how to eliminate the maximum amount of space on his half of the field in this coverage role. The Georgia native is willing to attack screens but lacks the play strength and tackling technique to come downhill consistently. He lacks the strength to defeat blocks and was pushed around by Florida State’s Johnny Wilson (2022). Wiggins isn’t a reliable or consistent run defender because he takes bad angles to the ball and dives low with his shoulder instead of wrapping up. He is lean throughout his frame and has questionable arm length. Wiggins is a little high-hipped. He is too quick to open his hips in press coverage and is still developing his anticipation skills. Wiggins committed five penalties in 2022, including four against Wake Forest. He looked very uncomfortable and unnatural playing soft-shoe press against the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest’s receivers stacked him several times and forced him to commit penalties. It was an awful game that started getting to Wiggins in the second half, but he made a clutch play late in the game to help seal the win. He is inexperienced in true press coverage, and asking him to play near the line and jam receivers seems like a recipe for trouble. Considering his athletic ability, Wiggins should allow less cushion in zone and off-man. He needs to be more physical at the catch point.
Overall, Wiggins flashed exciting athletic ability, zone coverage skills, and potential in his first year as a starter, but he’s still a developmental prospect who must improve in 2023. Wake Forest was by far his worst tape in 2022, but he arguably had his best game against North Carolina and Drake Maye in the 2022 ACC Championship Game. With more consistency, Wiggins could become a starter in a zone-heavy scheme within his first two NFL seasons.
Role & Scheme Fit: Outside corner in a zone-dominant scheme
Round Projection: Late Second to Mid Third
Size: 6'2", 185 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 08-09-23