INDIANAPOLIS -- Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins set a high bar with a scorching 40-yard dash time on Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine, but it came at a cost.
Wiggins ran a 4.28-second 40, setting the pace for this year’s defensive back group. However, after his 40-yard run, Wiggins was helped off the field with an injury. He received attention from the medical staff before returning to the field with ice on his right leg, telling NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales he suffered a hip flexor injury but expects to be OK for Clemson’s pro day on April 6.
Wiggins also told Dales he wasn’t satisfied with his 40 time. Notably, Wiggins recorded the 4.28 in spite of a relatively slow 10-yard split time of 1.59 seconds. He entered the combine as NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks' No. 2 corner in the draft.
Another top DB performer on Friday was Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell, a likely first-round pick whose draft stock has been on the rise since his standout Senior Bowl performance. Mitchell roasted a 4.33-second 40, the second-best time of the DB group. Mitchell also had a 10-yard split of 1.51. Earlier in the workout he registered a 38-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot broad jump.
Another possible first-round cornerback, Alabama’s Terrion Arnold, didn't run quite as fast. Measuring in at 5-11 3/4 and 189 pounds, Arnold posted a 40 time of 4.50 seconds, even with a promising 10-yard split of 1.54 seconds.