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Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass podcast. Today

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we had a chance to meet Ravens' first

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round pick Nate Wiggins out

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of Clemson. He arrived in Baltimore after

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getting selected at pick number thirty on Thursday

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night. He's fired up to be here in Baltimore

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and he had a chance to meet with the media alongside

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defensive coordinator Zach Prior and secondary

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coach Chris.

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HEWITTT appreciate

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you guys coming, man, I mean, obviously you can

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see the smile on our face. This is a great

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day to be a Raven. Obviously, last night

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we drafted Nate Wiggins, who we obviously

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believe is the best corner in the draft, not

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only one of the best corner but one of the best

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defensive players overall. Man, so early

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in this process, you could ask Nate when he came

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on his thirty visit, I was like, man,

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I don't know if you're gonna be here at thirty, but if you are, I'm

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gonna make sure that I fight on the table for you. And

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obviously was able to get him.

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Eric and the personnel staff they did a great

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job and we was able to get him. But just

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speaking about Nate, I mean he's tall,

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he's fast, he's athletic, plays

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hard, plays physical, plays like a

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raven. But what stood out to me the most

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is man in the big time games, at

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the big time moments. You're talking about third down, fourth

1:12

down, two minutes in the game, in the half,

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whenever the ball came his way, he made

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the play man. So we're excited to bring

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him in part of our organization, part

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of our defense. Expect great

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things out of him. I know he's hungry, he

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plays with a little edge, which we like. And

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like I said, I can't thank everybody

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enough for coming and it's congratulations

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of Nate.

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Man were happy to hear.

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First of all.

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Eric Ozzy Hard, Missus

1:41

Bashatti and the rest of the the scouting department

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because there's a lot of a lot of things that going along with the

1:46

draft process and identifying guys,

1:49

and then they had identified Nick in

1:51

the process, and you know, all I had

1:54

to do was just just go ahead and just turn on the tape. And it was

1:56

just like as soon as you turn on the tape, you're ready to do. As

1:58

soon as you turn on tape, you're just like dog,

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look at this guy. Go I mean, the guy's a blur on

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the field, and just about all the things

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that that Zach talked about is

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whenever it was time for a guy to make

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a play, this guy was making plays

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all over the field. And there's

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two plays that that that stand out

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to me the most. Those two plays

2:19

when you're running that kid down that they're running

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back from North Carolina, and

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the other one was Miami

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Okay runs all the way down, tracks a guy down

2:28

at the at the end zone and knocks the ball out on the field.

2:31

Those are like game changing plays and those are the kind

2:33

of play players that we we look for.

2:36

So a guy like Nate, he's

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gonna fit bread in our organization. He's

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gonna be a guy that's gonna being

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able to make some great plays for us and

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and fit in within our defense and and

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take us to that next level that we're looking for.

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Yeah, I

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mean, I'm I'm happy to be here. Like

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like they said, I mean, I'm

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a passionate player. I mean I love the game

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of football. So I mean that's

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why I feel like it's a I'm I'm

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the best player to be here cause I feel

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like, uh, yeah, this program,

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this organization is about passing,

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winning and that's all I'm that's all I don't

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care about. That's all I'm come here to do. I'm in the winning.

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I'm able to get the job done. So that's

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what we're gonna do.

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Questions, Hey, uh, you

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know, obviously a lot of people point about your coming

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to the NFL, the talking about the speed of the game.

3:27

Obviously you're wanting the fast players out there.

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What do you think for you v the biggest

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jos spent community NFL.

3:33

Uh?

3:34

Really just probably just my time having

3:36

more time.

3:39

Yeah, and what are the uh.

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What the last twenty four hour what's at least

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I guess the last twelve hours been like uh,

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waiting for your name to be called and then

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shuffling and back here to Baltimore and

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coming back into this facility.

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Know ain't gonna be part of the future here.

3:54

Uh, I mean it's been crazy. I mean

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I've been having up and down moments. Uh

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in the draft the draft probably it was crazy,

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but I mean, uh, I'm here now, so

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I'm about to make everybody pay You who looked over me?

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Hey, you going out going?

4:11

You know?

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Patter heard you want to go? Was hid and Kennedy?

4:14

Is there any extra motivation? Forty

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to use the passed on you.

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Then they gonna see like while

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they passed up, I don't know, Like I don't

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they gonna see Zach.

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You know, said you when you had conversations

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with them, that you're here at thirty.

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Great, like kind of not thinking it was going to happen.

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You'd all play out last night and to

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realize it's getting closer and closer to depend what's going

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through your mind that you couldn't actually.

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It was, it was. It was kind of mixed motions.

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First thing, I was like, man, I hope nobody else pick him before

4:44

before it gets to us. But it

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was great. Just started getting excited because we knew he

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was our guy, and like like Chris talked about,

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man, just seeing that process of the

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whole scouting department led by Eric and Ozzy,

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just seeing those guys work and and seeing

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the whole process play out where Nate was falling

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to us and when we knew we we

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we knew we had a chance to get him. You see

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how fast the pit got turned in it wa It

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was it was joy in the in the in the draft

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room, and we were so excited. Man, we felt like we got

5:12

best defensive player in.

5:13

The draft together,

5:18

I think it's coming along well.

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I mean, we just added, like we said we would, think it's

5:22

uh, one of the top defensive players in the draft

5:25

to our defense man. Obviously, we signed Beaks

5:27

back uh early offseason and made some other

5:29

free agent signings as well. But Uh, I think

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it's coming along.

5:32

Well.

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He's gonna be a a great addition to our s uh

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A talented secondary and uh he's

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just gonna make us better.

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That Eric said he lost some sleep

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or were going with a line or quarterback.

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Of positions in need, I guess what were those

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conversations like, when or a side getting

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someone in.

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Here after all the guys you laws.

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Man.

5:51

I mean, shoot, I was I only watched the defensive

5:54

players, so I only know about the cornerbacks. So

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I mean, if we got if we took our offensive lineman and it

5:58

was gonna help our team, that would be great. But I

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knew that Nate Wiggins was a guy that was gonna be a great

6:03

addition for us, so I

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was just like, Hey, if Nate's there,

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let's get him. And and it shaked out

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in our favor, So we're happy that it played

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out the way it did.

6:16

Waits, you know, to make it for us

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to time run out and all that time

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to yester that he turned in right away.

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Can you kind of taste in the room yesterday and they

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turned that geta.

6:26

And yeah, I mean, I

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mean he we kind of knew. He knew that

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if Nate was there, that was a guy who's gonna take.

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Like I think he talked about it last night. It was a lot

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of phone calls, a lot of a lot of stuff going

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on, and he was just saying that if our guys there, we're

6:40

taking him. And Nate was our guy. So soon

6:42

as soon as it was our time to go up

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and Nate was still on their board, it was time to

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make that phone call. And and and you see it was

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no hesitation. So that's how bad we know

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we wanted him. And I think that showed.

6:54

I think maybe you played most of his snaps

6:56

last year man coverage, you

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know, in his word, the NFL

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work to see a lot of stuff, a lot of high and action

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stuff.

7:03

What is the value of the guy if you do your shutdown

7:05

man corner, when you guys need

7:07

a call.

7:07

On someone like that, say that one more

7:10

time.

7:10

What is the value of having a guy who can get shut down in

7:12

a corner when you got.

7:13

Call on someone like that, Well, I mean, first

7:16

of all, it's the guy that's as

7:18

talented as this guy is, it doesn't matter for playing

7:20

zone man or whatever it is. He's he's extremely talented.

7:23

And the other part

7:25

about it is he's got a high football IQ as

7:27

well. You know, going through the whole process.

7:29

You know, when we were at the we're

7:32

at the combine. I

7:34

think I stopped the meeting like at three minutes, and it was like

7:36

it didn't even matter. It was like it was over. It was

7:38

like the guy was so smart, he was uh, he

7:40

had all athletic ability, all all those things

7:43

were given. It was all about what's in between

7:45

the years. That's all the things that I really need to know. So

7:47

as far as him having

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any issues or anything, I'm not worried about that. We're

7:52

gonna get this guy on the field and you're gonna see

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a great player from beers to come.

7:56

How How old were you and and who

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was it who first put you cornerback?

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And did you sort of know right away this is this

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is where I'm along.

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Uh, I think it was my

8:06

ninth grade year in

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the front right of my mom my, Dad. I didn't

8:12

really want to play cornerback. I want to play receiver. But

8:14

it was like, I mean, it's a lot

8:17

of receivers that's fast. I mean, it's

8:19

not that many cornerbacks tall that

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could do what I can do. So I just started

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training in it and pay it off.

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Then we saw Trenton Simpson welcoming to the facility.

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What did he tell you about the organization.

8:30

That you're joining?

8:31

He was really just like it's a passion or just

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like Clemson. Uh, it's like is

8:35

a give out for Clemson vibe, and I

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mean it's nice home. So I'm

8:40

happy to be here.

8:42

Dad, You're sit there and wait until

8:44

may be called.

8:44

The teams are gonna be pass Did you hap in the

8:46

back of your mind there's no way you were getting past

8:49

thirty because you were confident if you were still in the Ravens

8:51

take care.

8:53

Uh nah. Actually when

8:55

I was when they called me, I was in the bathroom.

9:00

I was mad. I was mad. I was

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in I see my for ring

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and everything. Just wait,

9:07

you know, it was crazy.

9:10

Chris.

9:11

Uh initial thoughts to twelve

9:13

hours. But what do you see as as

9:16

Nate's role in this defense? With the

9:18

depth of corner that you already have and the

9:20

town already hit on the.

9:21

Roster me

9:25

first of all, like with with the guys that we have in our

9:27

room, it's you know, all our guys are

9:29

they're they're truly interchangeable. Trying to get

9:31

the best guys on the field and you

9:35

know whatever that that that

9:37

position is or how we get them on the field, That's

9:41

what it's all about. Just trying to get the best players on the field

9:43

and getting the best the best five or six guys

9:45

on on the back end to play

9:47

and play as one. You

9:50

worried about it, I'm

9:52

not worried about it.

9:54

Put on about maybe ten pounds and

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combine between the combine and your pro

9:59

day? How did you go about

10:01

doing that? And do you have like an idea?

10:03

Weed you kind of like that too.

10:05

I mean I would never like one seventy I just ain't

10:07

eat it come by. Yeah.

10:09

So it was just log just longful waight.

10:12

Uh.

10:13

I just had the game weight back and eating

10:15

right.

10:15

So hey

10:17

that I think one matchup that people are looking

10:19

forward to is Unz Flowers to you guys that are

10:22

very fast and fast feed. What do you remember

10:24

about your matchup with him in college, and

10:26

it's not a matchup you're looking forward to his shot

10:29

back, iron sharpening iron.

10:31

Uh, I remember, I mean who was going

10:34

at it?

10:34

Uh?

10:34

In college?

10:35

Uh?

10:36

It was back and forth. Uh he kept he caught

10:38

some passes and not to deflect some passes on him? So

10:40

who was going back and forth? But I know, Uh, we're gonna

10:42

get each other better now, So I

10:44

mean it's gonna be It's gonna be good.

10:47

He's the best receiver your face in college.

10:50

Probably Jordan Addison.

10:53

There's someone that you looked up to

10:55

or patter in your game after.

10:57

When you were growing up.

10:59

I want say pattern, but like

11:01

a J.

11:02

Jrell.

11:02

He put a lot of like chips

11:05

in my ear. He talked to me a lot. So can

11:10

you tell us what he needs to have?

11:11

Your family here and the impact that they've had on your

11:13

life and career.

11:14

Man, it means a lot just knowing where

11:16

we're coming from. I mean a lot of folks

11:18

don't make him have come from. So I mean it means a lot.

11:23

Until you see so many extended plays,

11:25

Nate's ability to really mirror the receiver

11:28

this quick feet, how much did that play

11:30

into how much he really liked him.

11:33

That didn't have anything to do with it, because you know,

11:35

it's it's all about the fit, and he

11:39

has all the abilities and

11:41

all those things, but it's it's more about

11:43

the fit and how he how he plays the game, how

11:46

he approaches the game. It matches what

11:48

we do in Baltimore and how how how our organization,

11:50

how our defense. His mentality is

11:52

the same. So the

11:54

extended plays and all those things, that's just another

11:57

extension about how we think. It

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doesn't matter how long, how long is gonna

12:02

the game is gonna be, where the game is gonna be, We's

12:06

gonna fight to the end and at the end of the play, you

12:08

know, it is what it is. We're

12:10

gonna compete at every time. So that's

12:13

what it's all about. It's about what's in between the years and how

12:15

this kid plays and you see that on tape and how

12:17

he talks and then I mean, it's just what he

12:19

is.

12:20

Hey.

12:20

During the Combine PRODS facility

12:23

visits, you meet a lot of people love

12:26

Scouts. What about the

12:28

Ravens leadership stood out when

12:30

you've got a chance to meet with them, both of the Combine

12:32

as well as you're at your facility.

12:34

It was really just different for real. I mean they let

12:36

me be myself. I ain't really have no critiques

12:39

about it for real, So I mean I just

12:41

like to be myself for I don't really like folks

12:44

like you feel me. So I

12:46

feel like I fit perfect here. I feel like God

12:49

had a plan, And yeah

12:52

he did.

12:52

You see the Marld Humphrey predicted

12:54

that they would pick you like a couple of hours before they did,

12:56

and said that he thought you would be the best fits. So

13:00

I guess if you've heard from Maryland or any other

13:02

guys in the secondary.

13:03

Actually I haven't. I ain't seen it. I

13:05

ain't seen it yet.

13:06

Maybe a lot about to upgrading

13:08

where you come from.

13:10

Uh, was there an easy or hard adjustment

13:12

to uh when.

13:13

You got to Clinston's. Uh, it was a

13:15

hard adjustment. There was a hard adjustment,

13:17

just uh uh just trying to adjust

13:20

to you know, the different communities.

13:23

Did you tell us about

13:25

the dependent on your change in back and stuff?

13:28

Oh it's just uh a Jesus face.

13:31

I mean, y'all put your

13:33

face in faith from God.

13:34

So yeah, they And I

13:37

think I've read somewhere about you writing a story

13:40

or book or something about that wanting

13:42

to be a quarterback in the NFL in like

13:44

fifth grade? What sort of uh

13:47

motivated you to do that? And you do the

13:49

confidence to think that you could get to that.

13:52

Uh I used to play quarterback, uh back in

13:54

the day, you know, Yeah, so uh

13:56

I thought I was gonna be Cam Newton turns

14:00

out cornerback, so I have other plans.

14:04

Do one more, Kyle.

14:06

One of the few critiques of this

14:09

game has been from Hunts just

14:12

the little undersize. What about this

14:14

game and tape and everything makes

14:16

that any consequential?

14:17

From you guys, I mean he comes up

14:20

and tackles, he comes up, he hits, he plays physical,

14:22

and I mean he's only twenty years old. Like

14:25

alsicnesiology major. I mean they say, you men

14:27

full of men don't stop growing to like twenty seven

14:29

years old.

14:29

So he got a lot of time to grow.

14:31

We got a great strength staff, nutritionness

14:33

and everything like that. But on tape you

14:36

I didn't see anything about him being undersized

14:38

as anything that we critique. I

14:40

mean, he flew up, set the edge in the run game,

14:43

played physical with receivers at the line of scrimmage,

14:45

came up, tackled, getting the ball off people,

14:47

so he played like a Raven so we have

14:49

no concerns about that at all.

14:54

So it's great to have Nate here in Baltimore and it's gonna

14:56

be an exciting weekend as rounds

14:58

two and three or Friday night, and the the rest of the draft

15:00

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15:03

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15:08

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15:14

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15:16

over the course of this weekend. Thank you for listening.

15:18

We'll talk with you again soon.