NFL Draft 2024: According to report, the Ravens rejected 8 trade offers for the No. 30 pick so they could acquire Nate Wiggins

In an NFL draft that contained an extremely high number of offensive players as first-round picks, the Baltimore Ravens were an exception. The Ravens secured former Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with the No. 30 overall pick.

According to ESPN, the Ravens coveted Wiggins so much that they turned down eight trade offers for the pick while they were still on the clock – largely because they were surprised he was even there. Before the draft began, according to ESPN, one of the coaches asked the others in the room, “What if Nate Wiggins fell to us?” Wouldn't that be something?” The other coaches apparently replied: “No, that will never happen. This couldn’t happen.”

Unfortunately it happened. And the Ravens snapped him up immediately.

“For us it was always: 'If Nate' [is] there, we [are] “I’m going to vote,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said. “In our opinion, [he’s] a guy who can be a real shutdown guy.”

The Ravens already had Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, Arthur Maulet, Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams in the defensive backfield, but adding a edge corner with the flexibility to move all over the field was apparently a priority. Wiggins played almost exclusively on the outside for the Tigers, but the Ravens let Wiggins know that could change around the league.

“With the guys we have in our room, they're really interchangeable,” passing game coordinator Chris Hewitt said, noting that Wiggins told him he wasn't worried about such changes. “[We’re] I try to put the best people on the field. Whatever that position is or how we put it on the field, that’s what it’s all about.”

The Ravens love nothing more than continually restocking the defensive backfield so they can continue to have one of the league's best secondaries, and they've made him a particular priority in recent years after spending a couple of seasons dealing with a spate of injuries manageable in this position. Clearly they are confident that Wiggins can and will be the latest in a long line of successful bets they have made at this location.