OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Baltimore Ravens cornerback and 2024 first-round draft pick Nate Wiggins was carted off the field roughly an hour into Tuesday’s practice after suffering a left leg injury.
Wiggins tangled with rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane during one-on-one drills and fell to the turf. He appeared unable to put weight on the leg as he entered the team facility.
Asked about the potential seriousness of the injury, first-year head coach Jesse Minter said Wiggins was still being evaluated.
“Not a whole lot,” Minter responded. “I think there’s optimism, but again, we’ll look at it, we’ll see where it’s at. It’s one of those plays, really not much between the two guys in the play. So whether it was hitting the ground or whatever it was, we’ll see what it looks like.”
Wiggins’ injury comes two practices after two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers left Friday’s session with a thigh bruise. Flowers returned to limited action Tuesday after missing Sunday’s practice.
Wiggins started all 17 games and had three interceptions in his second season in 2025 after the Ravens selected him 30th overall in the 2024 draft out of Clemson.
He comes into the season as the starter on the left side and perhaps the team’s top cornerback, even in front of four-time Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey, who has transitioned into a slightly different role.
The Ravens made minimal upgrades at the position this offseason despite finishing 2025 tying for the NFL’s second-worst pass defense.
“I got a lot of confidence in the corner room,” Minter said. “I look at Marlon probably at his best couple days the last couple times out here. (Chidobie Awuzie), I mean, this guy’s played a ton of football, played at a really high level. I think he’s had a great camp up to this point. T.J. Tampa has done a lot of great things. Keyon Martin has done a lot of good stuff. Chandler (Rivers) has done a lot of great stuff.”
Minter also confirmed that quarterback Lamar Jackson and other regulars won’t play during Saturday night’s home preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, but insisted there’s still value in preseason games.
“Every year that I’ve been associated with the NFL, there’s a guy in the first preseason game that you might not have real high expectations for, and then they go out in the game and play at a different level than maybe they practiced,” Minter said. “And so that’s what you want to see. You want to see guys take advantage of the opportunity, make plays.”
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