Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
Size:
Height: 6’1.5”
Weight: 173 pounds
Arm Length: 30 1/2"
Hand Size: 9”
Accomplishments:
First-Team All-ACC (2023) • ACC Honor Roll (2021) • 4-star recruit
“Nate Wiggins has the height, wingspan, and traits to be a disruptive starting perimeter Cover 3 cornerback.”
Strengths:
NFL-caliber size/stature
Competitiveness
Football IQ
Concerns:
Long speed
Run defense/tackling
Fluid transitions
Film Analysis:
Nate Wiggins has the look of an outside/perimeter cornerback. The combination of height, arm length, and instincts are the base of his intrigue.
Wiggins plays mostly off-man and Cover 3 zone coverage. He has a smooth and comfortable press bail and bail drop as he enters his designated area in coverage. Wiggins does a good job carrying vertical routes down the field and maintaining positioning to make a play at the breakpoint. He is very competitive in coverage and at the catch point. He will attack the body of the receiver and rake through their hands to prevent a reception. If there is no threat of speed, he will sit and/or squat on routes and limit separation at the breakpoint.
In man coverage, Wiggins is patient in the contact window and does not rely on being overly physical. From his eye discipline to his footwork, he can leverage the release of the receiver and timing of the route. I appreciate how quickly he attempts to eliminate the space between himself and the receiver to squeeze them to the sideline on vertical stems. He is experienced in playing trail technique/man-under to create smaller throwing lanes for the QB. His ability to diagnose and recognize quick routes and screens is impressive. Wiggins reads route concepts well from depth, this increases his trigger downhill to click and close.
Wiggins struggles with stopping and starting. He does not have the best burst to gather back up to speed quickly and work back into phase on vertical routes. While his bail technique is smooth, he is high-hipped and a little segmented with his backpedal. He does not turn or change directions as fluidly. I would like to see more enthusiasm from Wiggins as a run defender. He does not look to engage or enter the action unless necessary and tackling is adequate.
Wiggins projects as a starting outside cornerback for a cover-3-based defensive system. Wiggins can play man-to-man coverage from both off and press alignment. He is a competitive, versatile cornerback who can help a defense as a starter.
Prospect Projection: Day 1 — Pro Bowl Caliber
Written By: Damian Parson
Exposures: North Carolina (2023), FSU (2023), South Carolina (2023), Tennessee (2022), North Carolina (2022), Louisville (2022), FSU (2022), Boston College (2022)
