By all accounts, Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins put together a promising rookie season.
He's looking for more, though, and that starts with a lofty takeaway goal in Year 2.
"[I want to] get 10-plus turnovers," Wiggins said on The Lounge podcast, per the team's website. "No matter -- interceptions, forced fumbles.
"I feel I dropped like five, six picks last year. I feel like I owe the team some picks. This year it's all about catching the ball, looking it through."
Wiggins only delivered two such plays last season. He had one forced fumble and made the the most of his lone interception, scoring on a pick-six in Week 18, but upping his count to double digits would require quite a leap in ballhawking tendencies.
Still, the 2024 No. 30 overall pick had 13 passes defensed as a rookie, so he was in tight coverage and making plays with regularity. He added 33 tackles to his stat line across 15 games (six starts).
Baltimore's defense certainly has a need in the turnover department. Despite finishing in the top 10 in both points and yards allowed, the Ravens managed just 17 takeaways in 2024, tied for seventh-fewest.
Cutting a few more drives short on possession-changing plays would only boost the unit's ability to keep points off the board. So would fortifying the back end -- while Baltimore ranked tops in the NFL against the run, the secondary allowed more passing yards than all but one other club.
Whether its through improved coverage or developing a nose for the ball, Wiggins taking a step in Year 2 will be pivotal to the Ravens improving in that regard.
He's been bulking up over the offseason to do so.
"Since last season to now I gained 10 pounds," Wiggins said. "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."
Wiggins is listed at 6-foot-1 and 182 pounds. A bump in weight would put him more in line with his likely fellow starters at corner, Marlon Humphrey (6-0, 203) and Chidobe Awuzie (5-11, 202), both of whom are a bit more stout.
It should also help with holding his own in press coverage or contested-catch situations, as well as with sizing up better against the run while looking for punchouts.
Wiggins has been putting in the work. He's confident it turns into turnovers, which, even as a former first-rounder, he hopes prove those who passed on him wrong.
"A lot of teams doubted me, saying I wasn't ready," Wiggins said. "Too small. It's definitely still going to be a chip on my shoulder."
