ExtremeRavens Posted August 10 Posted August 10 Rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins was the early star of the Ravens’ preseason opener Friday night. His night ended in concern. The first-round draft pick exited Baltimore’s 16-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. Wiggins, the No. 30 overall selection in April, started the preseason opener and excelled in his first test. He defended three passes during the defense’s first possession, including a breakup on an underthrown deep ball on third down and a drive-ending swat on a fourth-down pass from Eagles backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. After the first stop, Wiggins joyfully ran to the end zone. The latter play ended with Wiggins wagging his finger as the defense jogged to the sideline, both moments capturing the swagger and confidence the 20-year-old cornerback plays with and what Baltimore hopes to see more of. Ravens vs. Eagles in Preseason NFL game | PHOTOS Coach John Harbaugh had no update on Wiggins’ injury after the game. “I thought they kinda went at him a little bit,” Harbaugh said. “When you’re a corner of his caliber, you want that.” Wiggins played the entire first half and returned to start the second. To cap the defense’s first drive out of halftime, he swarmed a pass to the flat and dove at Philadelphia running back Lew Nichols’ feet to make the tackle for loss. Wiggins leaped up in celebration but left the field and entered the medical tent favoring his right arm. He departed for the locker room shortly after, was listed as questionable to return and never came back. The defensive back group has been depleted even more recently. Fourth-round pick T.J Tampa (sports hernia surgery) is on the physically unable to perform list and has been sidelined throughout training camp. Three-time Pro Bowl selection Marlon Humphrey and All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton have missed time this summer with various ailments, although both have returned since the start of training camp. Trayvon Mullen has been sidelined for about a week with a shoulder injury. Arthur Maulet will miss time after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. Safety Sanoussi Kane, the team’s seventh-round pick, suffered a stinger delivering a crushing hit to an Eagles receiver in the third quarter and didn’t return Friday night. Kane, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play, remained on the field for a few moments before walking off under his own power alongside team trainers. Ravens linebacker Chris Board also exited in the first half to be evaluated for a concussion and was later ruled out. Harbaugh didn’t provide an update on the status of Board or Kane. Wiggins was likely to be in line for a rotational role to start his rookie season, but he might be thrust into a larger one after the injury to Maulet, who was the likely starting slot cornerback. His absence might push Humphrey to that spot, opening up a perimeter role for Wiggins depending on the severity of his shoulder. That position is where the first-round pick started Friday and flashed in his first chance — and where he showed why his slender 6-foot-1, 182-pound frame could translate to a heightened risk of injury. “Nate played great,” said Wiggins’ former Clemson teammate and Ravens linebacker Trenton Simpson. “Just to see him fly around, I was so happy to see him with pass breakups, make some tackles. … He’s gonna be a special guy for us this year.” View the full article Quote
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