The Baltimore Ravens lost their Week 1 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs on the road — but the AFC North squad went toe-to-toe with the defending champs and still looked like one of the top teams in the NFL.
On Sunday, the Ravens will have a chance to right the ship when they host the Las Vegas Raiders — who are making the cross-country trek to the East Coast after losing to the Chargers in their season opener.
Most of the Baltimore Ravens’ rookies did not suit up for last week’s season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, and the ones that did saw very limited playing time.
That doesn’t mean they didn’t make an impact, though. For instance, rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins, who played just 17 snaps on defense and 11 on special teams, had a very solid debut in a limited role. The Clemson product earned a 76.0 grade from Pro Football Focus, the third-best on the Ravens defense behind safety Ar’Darius Washington (86.5) and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh (85.4). Additionally, Wiggins earned the second-best grade in Week 1 out of 12 rookie cornerbacks.
“Wiggins played a limited role in Baltimore’s season opener but acclimated himself nicely in coverage,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman wrote. “He allowed just one reception, a screen to Rashee Rice, picking up a tackle assist on the play and holding it just a gain of just one yard. Wiggins was often left in single coverage matchups but never faltered, even when matched up with Rice, who was the Chiefs’ best receiving threat on the night.
“Week 1 was a good start for Wiggins as he seeks more playing time.”
While Wiggins seems like he’s ready to take the jump from college to the NFL, he’s part one of the top defensive back rooms in the NFL as a member of the Baltimore Ravens secondary.
The cornerback room features former All-Pro Marlon Humphrey, the up-and-coming Brandon Stephens and the underrated Jalyn Armour-Davis. That’s not even mentioning Arthur Maulet, who’s currently on IR after a strong first season in Baltimore.
Even some safeties in Washington and Kyle Hamilton can often act more as cornerbacks than traditional safeties, especially with Maulet out.
As the season progresses, it’s safe to say Wiggins will see the field more often, but in a surprising twist that came up on this week’s injury report, the rookie out of Clemson won’t suit up on Sunday against the Raiders.
Baltimore Ravens Rookie Nate Wiggins Will Miss Week 2 Matchup Vs. Raiders After Car Accident
Wiggins, the No. 30 overall pick in this year’s draft, was a first-team All-ACC selection last season at Clemson. He also brings outstanding speed to the table (4.28-second 40-yard dash), and having just turned 21 late last month, he still has plenty of time to develop.
Multiple media outlets reported Baltimore Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins has missed practice time this week leading up to Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders because of a neck injury, and head coach John Harbaugh provided more details Friday.
“Nate was in a car accident a couple days ago,” Harbaugh told reporters. “They were kind of working through it. Looks like he’s not going to be able to make it to the game, so he’ll be out for the game. He’s fine, he’s healthy, he’s fine, but not going to be able to play.”
The Baltimore Ravens first-round pick was absent Monday but was listed as a full participant Wednesday. He was available to reporters in the locker room after practice. On Thursday, he missed practice and appeared on the injury report for a neck injury.
As of now, there are no further details about the car accident or a timeline on when Wiggins will return. This is certainly something to keep an eye on.
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