All season, all eyes have been on Nate Wiggins.

As the Ravens’ first-round draft pick, he’s had more hype — and is paid more — than any other rookie. But with that came more expectations.

For an exceptionally young player — he only turned 21 in August — adjusting to the NFL can be difficult. Wiggins left Atlanta as a 16-year-old and at Clemson became one of the best college cornerbacks in the country, but the NFL is full of elite players.

Despite ups and downs, including a harrowing car accident, Wiggins is one of only two Ravens rookies seeing consistent playing time this year.

Wiggins agreed to take time each week during the first half of the season to speak with The Baltimore Banner and reflect on his successes and struggles on and off the field.

Week 1: Kansas City Chiefs 27, Ravens 20

After a solid training camp during which Wiggins gained back a lot of the weight he’d lost for the NFL combine (because there’s so much emphasis put on the 40-yard dash), Wiggins was on the active roster for the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. He was one of just three rookies to see time, playing nearly a third of the defensive snaps (right tackle Roger Rosengarten played 25% of the offensive snaps; Rosengarten, Wiggins and Sanoussi Kane all contributed on special teams).

Wiggins said he didn’t feel nervous for his debut, even though he knew those around him expected him to. Once he stepped on the field, he felt ready.

“I was just happy, excited,” Wiggins said. “Just — I worked all my life to be here, so I was ready.”

After the game, he was pleased with his personal performance despite the disappointing loss.

What he did well:

• “Just showing everybody I can play with the big boys, I’m not too small. So that was my most proud moment.”
• Wiggins played the game at 183 or 184 pounds and felt he held up fine against bigger, stronger players. He’d eventually like to play at 195.

What he wanted to work on:

• “Probably just the speed of the game, just knowing, like they going fast every play, like Patrick Mahomes [is] one of the best quarterbacks in the league. So just him reading the defense, I feel like just, I got to get better with that. … My focus is the same as last week, just when they call my name, just be ready to go. Just put my full energy out there.”

Stats:

• 2 tackles
• 31% defensive snaps
• 42% special teams snaps
• 76 defensive PFF grade
• 60.6 run defense PFF grade
• 75.1 tackling PFF grade
• 76.9 coverage PFF grade

Week 2: Las Vegas Raiders 26, Ravens 23

Wiggins was in a car accident on Wednesday that sidelined him for the game. He spent the week healing, learning and observing.

During the game, he tried to stand by the coaches, specifically defensive backs coach Chris Hewitt, to soak up lessons about the mental side of the game.

“I was just learning for real,” Wiggins said. “Just like the league, a lot of things, it’s different about the league than college. It’s faster, the receivers are better, the quarterbacks are better. You just got to be on your game 24/7. You can’t ever let up. That’s what I learned. ... I just try to be by the coaches for real, if I’m not playing, just to see what’s going through their head, what they’re saying.”

It was hard to be sidelined immediately after making his debut, he said, and he was determined to make a quick recovery.

“It was a hard time, just trying to just push myself back to get back in two weeks,” Wiggins said. “And they’re telling me I ain’t gonna be back for it. It was just me going hard every day, just trying to tell them I’m good, I’m trying to be better. I was just working every day.”

Week 3: Ravens 28, Dallas Cowboys 25

Still recovering from whiplash suffered in the car accident, Wiggins worked his way back day by day and was cleared the day of the game after passing a series of tests.

Although he knew he was going to start if he was cleared, Wiggins had the challenge of trying to get up to speed after just one career NFL game and limited practice. Wiggins said that meant he had to focus extra on his mental game.

It ended up being his first NFL win.

“I really didn’t feel no difference,” Wiggins said. “It was just like, I feel like, both games, I got targeted a lot of times. So, I mean, I didn’t feel no difference.”

What he did well:

• Wiggins gave up a catch to CeeDee Lamb but punched the ball out for a fumble, which the Ravens recovered. That provided a lesson on sticking with plays. “I just think I did adjust to recovering the ball, getting the ball out. I did that pretty good.”

What he wanted to work on:

• Wiggins did not stay locked on receivers as well as he would have liked, but he pinpointed the mental side of the game. “Just being more confident in myself. I feel like I’m already confident. I just need to be more confident, just know that nobody can catch the ball on me, I can guard whoever. And just me understanding that.”

Stats:

• 2 tackles
• 1 forced fumble
• 48% defensive snaps
• 11% special teams snaps
• 42 defense (down)
• 61.5 run defense (up)
• 26.0 tackling (down)
• 39.7 (down)

Week 4: Ravens 35, Buffalo Bills 10

After getting home from Dallas, Wiggins and his family, who run the Wiggs Worldwide Foundation, hosted an event that celebrated 35 breast cancer survivors and patients.

“I just like helping the community out, helping the people who struggle,” Wiggins said. “I just gave out wigs for all the people who are fighting breast cancer. I know a lot of people fighting breast cancer. My family, it’s a big thing, and I just wanted to do it with October coming up.”

They partnered with the Susan G. Komen foundation and the American Cancer Society to provide the guests with a tour of M&T Bank Stadium and gift bags. “Wiggs for Warriors” also provided human-hair wigs, and the guests were treated to personalized cuts and stylings. Wiggins was named the NFL Players Association Community MVP for the week.

Wiggins had an idea for the foundation as a teenager and started it while in college. He put a portion of his first NFL paycheck to the foundation.

“It means a lot,” Wiggins said. “Like my mama said, we just big on just helping folks, just because we come from nothing, we just know how hard it is. We just big on like, just helping communities who struggle, and breast cancer, that’s just one of the months that we are really, really strong on.”

Following the event, Wiggins got back to work. He was looking forward to a whole week of practice after missing so many days due to his car accident.

What he did well:

• “Really just being physical at the line of scrimmage. And, just, I feel like I was myself in the game for real, just being competitive, just my confidence. When those two things click, I don’t think I can be stopped.”
• One of the toughest things for any defensive back is deciding when to look at the man he is covering and when he can glance at the QB. Wiggins felt he improved in his decision-making. “Probably on the scramble drill, when I broke the ball up, just I improved my eyes. I know I tend to look at the quarterback. Just I kept my eyes on the receiver the whole time. So that’s the play I’m really most proud of.”

What he wanted to work on:

• Wiggins once again said he felt he could have played with more confidence.
• He also got feedback from coaches after dropping what should have been an interception: “Just really catch the ball (laughs). That’s really the big thing. They said I played great, so I just really got to catch the ball. I hit the JUGS [machine] before practice and after practice.”

Stats:

• 2 tackles
• 1 pass defense
• 86% defensive snaps
• 63% special teams snaps
• 80.9 defense (season best)
• 63.1 run defense (up)
• 72.5 tackling (up)
• 82.1 coverage (season best)

Week 5: Ravens 41, Cincinnati Bengals 38

For his first divisional game, Wiggins got to face another former Clemson player, wide receiver Tee Higgins. Listening to his teammates and coaches, Wiggins was prepared for a tough, physical game — exactly what he loves.

The defense got shredded by Joe Burrow and his cast of star receivers, though. Over and over, Burrow marched the Bengals down the field and into the end zone. But the Ravens ended up on top, thanks to their high-powered offense. Although it wasn’t fun to be continuously picked apart by Burrow, Wiggins learned a valuable lesson.

“Just keep playing,” Wiggins said. “Don’t never give up. This team didn’t — we never quit. We just kept having faith in the offense. Offense kept giving us a chance, and we just kept fighting. So we never quit.”

What he did well:

• “I feel like I played a decent game. Had some great stops to give the team a chance to go into overtime.”

What he wanted to work on:

• Wiggins said he wanted to get better at knowing the situation when the game got hectic. “Just probably ... working on knowing down and distance, really.
• Similarly, he learned how essential it is to remain “focused on my technique” in an up-and-down game.

Stats:

• 1 tackle
• 2 pass defenses
• 31% defensive snaps
• 60% special teams snaps
• 30.9 defense (down)
• 60.0 run defense (down)
• 72.5 tackling (same)
• 29.8 coverage (down)

Week 6: Ravens 30, Washington Commanders 23

As the Ravens took on the Commanders, Ravens Wired captured the interactions between Wiggins and third-year Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton. Since organized team activities, team leaders have praised Wiggins’ thirst for knowledge. And who better to learn from than one of the smartest and best players on the team?

“I try to learn something new from him every day because he’s a great player,” Wiggins said. “I just know he’s going to put something in my brain that I know is not there yet.”

Wiggins said they also have a lot in common, both being from Georgia. In fact, Wiggins and his family ran into Hamilton at the Atlanta airport when they were headed to Baltimore after he was drafted. Wiggins is trying to learn everything he can from the safety he calls “one of the best in the league.”

What he did well:

• “I’m proud of just being there for the team, being able to get stops for the team, pass breakups for the team, just doing it every play ... [and] on the goal line, the slant when I got a PB.”

What he wanted to work on:

• “Just downfield, I feel like I’m a little bit too grabby. I got to get used to NFL rules. I can’t be too aggressive downfield. So I just have to learn how to stop being aggressive downfield, and I’ll be good.”
• “I’m proud of the fourth-and-12 play towards the end of the game when I got the PI. I felt like I was in perfect position. I don’t really feel like I grabbed him. But I can’t take it back, so that’s the one I want back.”

Stats:

• 4 tackles
• 2 pass defenses
• 73% defensive snaps
• 34% special teams snaps
• 46.9 defense (up)
• 72 run defense (up)
• 44.2 tackling (down)
• 42.5 coverage (up)

Week 7: Ravens 41, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31

The Ravens faced a very different challenge in Florida: a team that committed to running the ball against their stout run defense. The Buccaneers were the only team to run for more than 100 yards against Baltimore this year, but quarterback Baker Mayfield also found success through the air. Wiggins had ups and downs, but his teammates and coaches encouraged him to keep playing his game. After all, it takes time to adjust to a jump in competition at every level.

What he did well:

• “Just the way that I kept playing through the game, just kept my composure throughout the game.”
• “I think this is the best game I’ve played.”

What he wanted to work on:

• “Just keep playing football. Just keep playing football. Every play, just keep going. I play cornerback, so the receivers are going to catch the ball. It’s the NFL, so just keep going to the next play.”

Stats:

• 1 tackle
• 2 pass defenses
• 82% defensive snaps
• 52% special teams snaps
• 78.7 defense (up)
• 66.2 run defense (down)
• 72.5 tackling (up)
• 78.9 coverage (up)

Week 8: Cleveland Browns 28, Ravens 24

After missing Wednesday’s practice with a shoulder injury, Wiggins returned as a full participant Thursday. However, that day, he also went back on the injury report with an illness and proceeded to miss Friday’s practice. He said Thursday that he was excited for the Browns game, his second divisional matchup, but he did not travel with the team.