Raven Country

Watch: Clemson Coach Predicts Ravens Draft Pick

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney had a hunch that cornerback Nate Wiggins going to the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Jeremy Brener

Feb 28, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney speaks with media before
Feb 28, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney speaks with media before / Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports
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Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has been around the block for a while, seeing dozens of his former players head to the NFL. The list continued on Thursday night when cornerback Nate Wiggins was drafted No. 30 overall by the Baltimore Ravens.

Swinney was with Wiggins at his draft party on Thursday night, and he gave his crystal ball thoughts on camera.

"I think if he's there at 30, the Ravens will definitely take him," Swinney said before the pick.

Swinney was also very complimentary of the Ravens when hugging his former player, telling him that he was "going to a great place."

Wiggins is just the second player in Clemson history to be drafted by the Ravens, joining his former teammate Trenton Simpson, a linebacker drafted in the third round of last year's draft.

While Simpson played just a minor role for last year's defense, the team is extremely high on him and anticipates a bigger workload in the upcoming season. Perhaps Simpson's development is part of the reason why the Ravens are comfortable with taking Wiggins.

The Ravens can take a similar approach with Wiggins that they have with Simpson. He's only 20 years old, which means he still has a lot of growing to do. He can sit behind the veterans and play big snaps only in case of injury, learning how to become a pro. That way, when his time eventually comes, he will be ready to prove why the Ravens spent a first-round draft pick on him.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.