Asked if Nate Wiggins reminds him of any former Ravens, Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr mentioned several.
Wiggins' length reminds Orr of Jimmy Smith. The playmaking ability compares to Lardarius Webb. The calm demeanor brings back memories of Brandon Carr.
What about Wiggins' speed?
Orr smiled. No cornerback he's ever been around runs faster than Wiggins.
"There's not many people walking around here who can say they ever ran a 4.29 in their life," Orr said. "That's blazing speed.
"A lot of times, those tall guys are straight line guys who can't stop on a dime or change directions. He can do that. He moves like he's a 5-7, 5-8 type of guy. He can play more trail technique, knowing he has catch-up speed and length to make plays on the football. Being 6-foot-2, that's rare."
Box 'Em Up
With a unique skillset and tons of confidence, one of Wiggins' goals is to become a Pro Bowl cornerback, sooner rather than later. It could happen this season.
He leads Baltimore's corners with 46 tackles, three interceptions, and 10 passes defensed heading into Sunday night's key matchup against the New England Patriots.
Wiggins has made it known to the coaching staff that he wants to cover the opponent's top wide receiver as much as possible.
It started with shadowing the Los Angeles Rams' Davante Adams in Week 6. Wiggins held Adams to just one catch for eight yards on four targets in that game, also giving up a 30-yard pass interference penalty. That mentality isn't cockiness. It's competitiveness.
In Wiggins' mind, there's no receiver he can't defend successfully. Or, in Wiggins' speak, "put them in a box."
"I feel like any receiver catching the ball against me is taking away from me and my family," Wiggins said. "That's how I see it.
"That's why I'm so competitive. That's why I go to the coaches and say that. 'Put me on that guy.' The work I put in, I think I showed I can guard the top receivers in this league.'"
Wiggins' "Box 'em up" celebration, drawing an invisible box with his hands after breaking up a pass, is his signature move and a favorite among teammates.
Focused on Playoff Push
However, Wiggins said on "The Lounge" podcast recently that he's become more judicious about breaking out his "Box 'em Up" celebrations. He's more interested in helping the Ravens barge their way into the playoffs.
Orr said Wiggins embraces the connection between weekly preparation and performance on the field. Coming off a shutout victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Ravens are looking for their defense to peak down the stretch. They need all 11 players on the field to be connected, to know each other's assignments. When Orr asks questions, Wiggins is giving the right answers.
"We quiz these guys, not just on what we're doing, but on the tendencies of the guys we're facing, the schemes we're going to be facing," Orr said. "Nate's a real smart guy. I know he's kind of quiet, but he's football smart.
"At his Combine interview, we really cut it short, because he answered every question about every DB position. You can't do that if you don't watch film."
Wiggins said he has become more detailed in studying film this season and credits veteran cornerback Chidobe Awuzie for helping him take his preparation to the next level. Wiggins said his game notes have become more organized, separated into different categories to make it easier to find what he's looking for.
Wiggins isn't someone who simply relies on his physical gifts. When he defends Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs this weekend, it will be done after hours of preparation. Wiggins is still only 22 years old, one of the youngest players on the team. But in his second NFL season, Wiggins is playing more like a seasoned vet and wants to keep trending upward as quickly as possible.
"I feel like I'm still growing," Wiggins said. "I feel like my season's decent right now, I know I could be way better."
Wiggins 'Wants It'
Wiggins will talk trash during games and doesn't apologize for it. Getting under a wide receiver's skin is part of Wiggins' arsenal. Tongue wagging with Wiggins can make a receiver lose focus. He and the Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase were going back and forth Sunday.
"Oh yeah, I talk," Wiggins said. "That gets my game going. I've got to talk to a receiver, let him know I'm here, that I'm going to be here. I'm going to talk even if he doesn't talk to me. If I think it's going to bother him, I'll talk more. It gives me energy."
Wiggins has worked on keeping his own emotions in check. He detests losing at any endeavor. It gnaws at Wiggins when a receiver catches a pass on him. He knows it's going to happen, but that doesn't mean Wiggins has to like it.
"I'm a sore loser," Wiggins said. "Every time my dad used to beat me in a game, I used to cry. When I played baseball as a kid, I'd cry when I struck out."
Orr loves how much Wiggins cares. When he watched tape of Wiggins playing at Clemson, Wiggins' passion for playing football resonated through the screen. Orr sees the same thing now.
"He's an elite competitor; that's the No. 1 reason why I wanted us to draft him," Orr said. "You see the speed. You see the versatility. But what stood out to me the most was, in critical situations at Clemson, he went and guarded the top receiver. He might not have been on him at the beginning of the game, but when it was the fourth quarter, fourth down, he was on him, and he didn't lose many of those reps.
"A lot of guys really don't want that. They say they do. But they really don't. Nate wants it."
Smooth and Savvy
Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins ranks 17th on the NFL's all-time list for receptions and is the active career leader in receiving yards. He's gotten the best of many corners and knows every trick in the book.
Hopkins loves how Wiggins doesn't back down from any challenge. When Wiggins picked off Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams in Week 7, Hopkins saw it coming.
Wiggins and Hopkins both went to Clemson, and the veteran receiver had already heard plenty about Wiggins from mutual acquaintances at the school. With the tools Wiggins has, Hopkins expects him to have a stellar career.
"Nate is a corner who's got all the ideal traits â height, speed, athleticism," Hopkins said. "I'd say the athleticism is what makes him special."
Baltimore may have to win out to make the playoffs, and they'll need Wiggins to keep winning one-on-one battles and perhaps provide more takeaways. But no matter how far the Ravens go this season, Wiggins is determined to maximize his talent, not just this season, but long term.
"He definitely has the opportunity to be one of the best corners we've ever had here," Orr said. "He just needs to keep putting the work in, keep staying hungry."
