Nate Wiggins Impressive Ravens' Brass With Weight Gain
Nate Wiggins Impressive Ravens' Brass With Weight Gain originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Baltimore Ravens' recent stretch of first-round picks has set them up for long-term success. Nowhere is this more pertinent than the secondary, where safety Kyle Hamilton blossomed into a superstar and corner Nate Wiggins impressed in Year 1. In April, they added high-profile safety Malaki Starks to the unit, adding even more upside to the defense.
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Of course, first-round picks are supposed to come with immense talent; these selections have. But both Hamilton and Wiggins have shown a knack for improving, the latter developing throughout his rookie season.
Now, he's aiming for an even better second season, and he's doing it with the power of protein.
The young Ravens cornerback is impressing with his bigger frame at OTAs, which he talked about on Friday.
"Since last season to know I gained 10 pounds," Wiggins said, via team transcript. "This year, it's going to be like more power, more strength. I'm still training to gain more pounds. I'm not a big fan of eating… [but] I'm forcing myself to eat."
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Wiggins stood out in coverage as a rookie, logging an interception and 13 passes defended. Playing against the run and holding his own against bigger receivers, though, gave him a little more trouble.
"Really just, I was just [getting hit] a lot. Injury wasn't my big thing last year, [but] just hitting the ground,' he said. 'With my shoulders hitting the ground, [my] body couldn't absorb the contact [well]. So it was really just getting [ready] my body [to be able to] take the contact."
Nevertheless, Wiggins will have a lot on his plate as Baltimore takes on the gauntlet of AFC quarterbacks. He'll be expected to take another step forward on the boundary to give the Ravens one of the league's best secondaries.
According to defensive coordinator Zach Orr, he's well on his way to doing so.
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"I thought Nate did a great job going to work this offseason, putting weight on," Orr said on Thursday, via the team's website. "That's a testament to him and the strength coaches coming up with a great plan. Obviously, he followed it.
"He's more locked in on his fundamentals and technique on a more consistent basis. He got to that point towards the middle end of the season, but last year, he was just running like a chicken with his head cut off, trying to figure out what to do. Now, he understands the system. He understands the defense. He's been in the league for a year, so he understands formations from offenses.'
Entering the league at 173 pounds with 30.5-inch arms, size will always be an issue for Wiggins. Mitigating how much it detracts from his game could decide his fate in Baltimore.
'Man, that guy right there, if he takes his technique to another level on a consistent basis, the sky is the limit for him."
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Related: Ravens' Oweh Bulking Up for Pivotal 2025
Related: Ravens' Kyle Hamilton Takes Top Spot in Latest Safety Ranking
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
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