The Ravens made headlines when they turned down eight trade offers to retain their No. 30 pick at the latest NFL draft.
Ravens turned down eight trade offers before drafting Nate Wiggins at No. 30. https://t.co/ekgbbKLIjW
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 6, 2024
Hailing him as an indispensable player, General Manager Eric DeCosta confirmed that the teams wish to recruit Nate Wiggins aligned with their strategy from the onset of the draft process.
Choosing Nate was a decision the team was not willing to compromise on. “If Nate [is] there, we [are] going to pick", DeCosta shared with ESPN"s Jamison Hensley.
Wiggins had an outstanding college football journey at Clemson. Deemed First-Team All-ACC, his speed, agility, and defensive skills were quite unlike any other. Wiggins surprised everyone as he emerged as the fastest cornerback at the NFL Combine.
However, there has been a cloud of doubt over the pick due to Wiggins" physical stature. Critics have questioned whether the 6-foot-1 and 173-pound player is equipped with the build required for the NFL.
Such concerns have been vehemently brushed aside by the Ravens’ defensive coordinator, Zach Orr.
“On tape, I didn’t see anything about him being undersized as anything that we critiqued," Orr stated confidently. "He flew up, set the edge in the run game, played physical with receivers at the line of scrimmage, came up, tackled, getting the ball off people. So he played like a Raven. We have no concerns about that at all."
The Ravens are not new to taking bold decisions, and their move past the multiple trade offers to pick Wiggins appears to be a part of their stronger, broader strategy.
They have fostered an environment synonymous with prioritizing performance and talent above all else.
