INDIANAPOLIS — Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins took his spot as the fastest athlete at the NFL Combine Friday with a blazing 4.28 40-yard dash that sidelined him for the day with a hip flexor injury.
Wiggins limped off the field after the run, telling NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales he felt a “pop” in his groin and that the area was “on fire.” He returned shortly after with a large ice pack taped to his inner thigh, and did not participate in any further drills.
Wiggins told NFL Network that he expects to be ready for Clemson’s April 6 pro day.
The cornerback group as a whole impressed with their speed, with seven other prospects running sub-4.4 times: Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell (4.33), Mississippi State’s Decamerion Richardson (4.34), Auburn’s Nehemiah Pritchett (4.36), Florida State’s Jarrian Jones (4.38), Penn State’s Daequan Hardy (4.38), Ole Miss’ Deantre Prince (4.38) and Rutgers’ Max Melton (4.39).
Pending more news concerning his injury, Wiggins’ time makes him a strong candidate for the CB1 spot in this year’s draft. His main competitor for that spot, Alabama’s Terrion Arnold, ran an underwhelming 4.50.
Fellow top corner Quinyon Mitchell also impressed with his 4.33-second 40, but looked somewhat clunky in field drills. Mitchell lacked fluidity when flipping his hips, and was the only prospect to catch the ball with his arms during the speed turn drill instead of making a high-point catch.
Max Melton of Rutgers improved his draft stock with a great performance across drills, running a 4.39-second 40 and recording an 11-foot-4 broad jump, the second-longest of the 2024 NFL Combine so far and the longest among corners. Melton looked smooth in field drills, flipping his hips well in the line drill and showing solid ball tracking and adjustment to make an aggressive high-point grab during the speed turn drill.
Full list of cornerback 40-yard dash times:
| Name | Height | Weight | 40-yard dash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Wiggins, Clemson | 6-1 3/8 | 178 | 4.28 |
| Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo | 6-0 1/8 | 195 | 4.33 |
| Decamerion Richardson, Miss. St | 6-2 1/4 | 188 | 4.34 |
| Nehemiah Pritchett, Auburn | 6-0 1/8 | 190 | 4.36 |
| Jarrian Jones, Florida St | 5-11 7/8 | 190 | 4.38 |
| Daequan Hardy, Penn State | 5-9 3/8 | 179 | 4.38 |
| Deantre Prince, Ole Miss | 6-0 | 183 | 4.38 |
| Max Melton, Rutgers | 5-11 | 187 | 4.39 |
| DJ James, Auburn | 5-11 5/8 | 175 | 4.42 |
| Elijah Jones, Boston College | 6-1 1/2 | 185 | 4.44 |
| Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri | 5-11 3/8 | 179 | 4.44 |
| M.J. Devonshire, Pittsburgh | 5-10 3/4 | 186 | 4.45 |
| Willie Drew, Virginia State | 5-11 5/8 | 191 | 4.46 |
| Marcellas Dial, South Carolina | 5-11 3/4 | 190 | 4.46 |
| Mike Sainristil, Michigan | 5-9 3/8 | 182 | 4.47 |
| Dwight McGlothern, Arkansas | 6-1 5/8 | 185 | 4.47 |
| Andru Phillips, Kentucky | 5-10 3/4 | 190 | 4.48 |
| Renardo Green, Florida St | 5-11 7/8 | 186 | 4.49 |
| Terrion Arnold, Alabama | 5-11 3/4 | 189 | 4.50 |
| Myles Harden, South Dakota | 5-10 7/8 | 195 | 4.50 |
| Cam Hart, Notre Dame | 6-3 | 202 | 4.50 |
| Khyree Jackson, Oregon | 6-3 3/4 | 194 | 4.50 |
| Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri | 5-11 3/8 | 183 | 4.51 |
| Josh Newton, TCU | 5-10 5/8 | 190 | 4.51 |
| Tarheeb Still, Maryland | 5-11 5/8 | 189 | 4.52 |
| Ryan Watts, Texas | 6-2 7/8 | 208 | 4.53 |
| Chau Smith-Wade, Washington St | 5-9 3/4 | 184 | 4.54 |
| Kalen King, Penn State | 5-11 1/4 | 191 | 4.61 |
| Isaiah Johnson, Syracuse | 6-0 3/8 | 205 | 4.64 |