There’s always a good quality standout at OTAs every season for every team. This year, the Baltimore Ravens have someone who has been turning heads.
“There’s no question that the Baltimore Ravens went through a major identity crisis on defense in 2025. Their play was absolutely horrendous. It wasn’t NFL-caliber whatsoever. However, they made the necessary moves to push that unit back in the right direction in 2026.” Conner Burke wrote in an Ebony Bird article.
The Baltimore Ravens now rank number 10 in ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings. This all started when the Ravens went all in on former All-Pro Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. The organization signed Hendrickson to a four-year $112 million deal in free agency.
It was clear the Baltimore Ravens needed edge rush help. The pressure was on the Ravens to once again have a good draft to buffer a lot positions.
Nate Wiggins Turning Heads at OTAs
Nate Wiggins was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. To kick off 2026, he’s off to a blazing start.
“Wiggins picked off [Lamar] Jackson when the cornerback dropped into zone coverage and got underneath an outside route. Wiggins, who is off to a hot start this offseason, has the talent to make the leap into the top 10 at his position in the NFL this fall.” Ryan Mink wrote in a Baltimore Ravens article.
Anyone who watches football knows that picking off Lamar Jackson–let alone in practice–is an incredibly tough task. This prediction from Ryan Mink doesn’t seem farfetched as people may seem.
Nate Wiggns has shown the potential to be a true lockdown corner. His quickness and ball skills are what stand out the most from the young cornerback.
“The 2024 first-round pick has a lot of the key aspects you want in your CB1. He’s got elite ball skills and athleticism, and although he’s a bit slimmer at 182 pounds, he has the necessary stature and length at 6-foot-1. You can’t teach all that. If he can refine his skills, he could turn the corner. And boy, does he need to turn that corner.” Burke wrote.
Ravens Secondary Must Step Up in 2025
Wiggins has 3 career interceptions and had 9 pass breakups in 2025.
“[Nate Wiggins] earned a 63.8 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 54th among 114 qualified cornerbacks. His PFF coverage grade of 62.8 ranked 57th among 114 qualified cornerbacks. His run-defense grade of 63.9 ranked 43rd at the position.” PFF says.
You could make the argument that the Ravens pass rush put a lot of pressure on the Ravens secondary in 2025. Defensively, the Ravens had trouble generating pressure with a 30% pass rush win rate in 2025. According to ESPN, the win rate ranked 28th in the league.
Due to this horrible stat, it’s easy to say the secondary needs to step up, but the secondary can only cover for so long.
Now that the Ravens have addressed their pass rush, Nate Wiggins should benefit the most due to his ability. The Ravens ranked 24th in total defense during the 2025 season. Baltimore was the 10th ranked defense against the run. They were the 30th ranked defense against the pass.
Ravens Defensive Back Gets Top 10 Projections After Shining in OTAs