Nate Wiggins NFL Draft projection: 5 landing spots for the Clemson CB ft. Detroit Lions
Nate Wiggins, a cornerback for the Clemson Tigers, has declared for the NFL Draft.
During his 3 seasons with the Tigers, Wiggins was a strong player in the cornerback position. In 2022, he recorded 30 tackles and kept this pace up in 2023, having 28 tackles this past season.
With Wiggins declaring for the draft, there are now questions surrounding which teams could he go to, and who could benefit from his talent.
Let's look at 5 possible NFL teams that Nate Wiggins could play for
5 landing Spots for Nate Wiggins
#1 Detroit Lions
The Lions are an offensive-minded team. Led by Jared Goff, they are strong on this side of the ball. The same cannot be said when they are playing defense.
The Lions’ defensive line is centered around Aidan Hutchinson, and in their final few games, it heavily struggled. The current cornerbacks are lacking in talent. By adding Wiggins to this team, the Lions will be getting support for Hutchinson, someone who is talented enough to make a difference in this position
#2 Houston Texans
The main cornerback for the Texans is Dereck Stingley Jr. While he has recently shown that he can be a strong player in this position, his season has been plagued by injury.
The Texans are, like the Lions, an emerging offense-based team under C.J. Stroud. But, a decent defense is needed to make the offense's actions worthwhile.
Stingley Jr. is a good cornerback, but adding Wiggins to this position will provide an extra layer of backup in the position if the former is injured again. Also, Wiggins' own talent will strengthen this position and the defense as a whole.
#3 Indianapolis Colts
As with the Texans, the Colts are an improving team that may focus more on their offense than their defense. The number one need for Indianapolis this offseason is a cornerback.
Current cornerback JuJu Brent has struggled this season before injuring his hamstring in the final game of the season against the Houston Texans. His backup, Jaylon Jones, is equally uninspiring.
Adding Wiggins to this team will mean that the Colts will have a talented cornerback on their roster, who can make big plays when needed. This is something that they do not have at the moment
#4 Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers defense needs to be rebuilt. This season, the Chargers lost many games within three points. Gaining a strong defense, or at least a somewhat functioning one, can prevent this from happening.
The Cornerbacks for the Chargers struggled this year to stop the many high-power offenses in the AFC West. Adding Wiggins to this team will add someone who can pressure the receivers and stop the running game, something that the Chargers have struggled to do this season.
#5 Philadelphia Eagles
Another team on this list which has a strong offense. But in the last 6 games of the season, the Eagles collapsed, winning only one of those games.
This was mostly due to their defense struggling. Current Eagles cornerback James Bradbery has had a good year, but the same cannot be said for the rest of the cornerbacks. Adding a young talent like Wiggins to the Eagles’ roster can assist the aging Bradberry in this position, strengthening their defense in a division that has a lot of talent in offense.