Steelers Pick Ballhawking Cornerback in New Mock Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers need the cornerback room, and at 20th overall, it seems like they will be right in the zone where many of the top cornerbacks will still be on the board. In the past, Terrion Arnold, Cooper DeJean, Kool Aid-McKinstry, and Quinyon Mitchell have been mocked to them. But a name that has not but probably should be more is Clemson’s Nate Wiggins. And in a new mock draft by CBS Sports, Wiggins lands in Pittsburgh.

“The Steelers could use another young corner to pair with Joey Porter Jr., with Patrick Peterson getting older and both Levi Wallace and Chandon Sullivan hitting free agency. The First-Team All-ACC will fit right into to the Pittsburgh mold at corner, standing 6-2 and weighing 185 pounds. Wiggins is a long, athletic cornerback with high-end speed. Mike Tomlin will have fun with this pick,” they wrote.

Wiggins is a fluid, ball-hawking cornerback that fits well in most defenses. On Clemson’s tape, they often played him toward the boundary, and he rose to challenges throughout their games. It sticks out just how smart Wiggins is on tape, too, as he can drop back in zone coverage and make impressive plays through his route recognition. At 6-foot-2, Wiggins has both good size and length, and thus, versatility to walk up a bit on receivers and get physical with him, but he is only 185 pounds, and that can lead to some issues.

His frame is a bit light, and while it’s not as bad as someone like Emmanuel Forbes from last year, he can still have some reps where he gets bullied in the screen game or against the run. Still, he shows an appetite to compete on the field, and has noticeably put effort into improving his tackling, especially on plays in space. He is a worthy pick at 20th overall, and would fit well across from Joey Porter Jr.