Nate Wiggins – Cornerback – 20 years old – Junior – Clemson
Height: 1m87
Weight: 84 kg
2023 stats: 9 games, 28 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 6 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, 1 touchdown
Estimated position in the draft: 1st round
NFL Comparison: Christian Gonzalez
Leader of the Clemson Tigers backfield for two seasons, Wiggins is part of this talented and homogeneous class of cornerbacks.
Between physique, young age and potential, his profile is enough to turn some heads.
Strong points
- Measurement
- Speed
- Playmaker
- Room for improvement
If NFL scouts had to define an ideal template in their quest for the perfect cornerback, it would certainly take the example of Nate Wiggins. The Clemson player has the ideal size to play on the outside and fight with the big NFL receivers. And when we couple its dimensions with its speed, we quickly obtain a future shut down cornerback. In other words, an anti-aircraft control tower that opposing quarterbacks will take care to avoid.
Wiggins made an impression during the combine by clocking an impressive 4.28 in the 40 yard dash. A speed which allows him in particular to be able to recover if he is caught on the first movement, or to be able to catch almost anyone in pursuit. His instincts, particularly in the zone, make him a potential playmaker. With two defensive touchdowns and one blocked kick over the past two seasons, he has shown he has a love for the ball.
Despite two full seasons as a starter in a program as important as Clemson, Wiggins will only turn 21 a few days before the start of the season. His young age and the potential he shows are enough to make you salivate. With its technical achievements, it already offers great guarantees which only need to be supervised and improved.
Weak points
- Power
- Defense in press
- Run Defense
Despite his almost perfect physical predispositions, Wiggins nevertheless suffers from a major power deficit. An evil at the origin of almost all these current limits. To be able to keep up with the pace of the NFL, and in particular against sometimes ultra-physical receivers, like AJ Brown or DK Metcalf to name a few, it will be vital for the former Tiger to gain muscle mass. All without exaggeration so as not to lose too much speed.
Aligned in the press, he regularly makes contact and puts him in difficulty. Throwing him into this type of defensive system from his NFL debut would not do him any favors, and would risk counting many yards for his team. Same observation, same consequence on the racing game. Having difficulty getting rid of blocks, he also does not always seem to be the most concerned by these phases of play.
Possible destinations
Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins
Difficult to predict with certainty which cornerback will be called first. In a dense class, no one stands out completely. If his lack of power should serve him in the search for a team looking for a new number 1, his qualities and his room for improvement should allow him to secure a selection on Thursday evening.
Despite a necessary adaptation time, and a profile not made for all defensive systems (for the moment), the young cornerback must make more than one defensive coordinator across the league salivate.
