When the 2026 NFL Draft gets underway this spring, 32 players will be selected in the first round. But only a select number of those have definitive first-round grades on this ESPN analyst’s board.

ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller recently released a list of true first-round prospects, and he writes that right now, there are only 11 in the 2026 draft class.  

“There’s a difference between going in Round 1 and being graded in Round 1, and as we move closer to the opening of the 2026 draft on April 23 in Pittsburgh, I have identified the players who I feel are no-brainer Day 1 guys,” Miller explained. “The average draft class has roughly 15 players who are deemed ‘first-round talents,’ though the number varies by team and scouting department. These special evaluations are reserved for prospects who would be Round 1 selections regardless of the year, and my own guideline is whether a player would have been a first-rounder in each of the past five classes.”

With that said, just one Clemson player earned a true first-round grade from Miller – defensive tackle Peter Woods. He is the only defensive tackle that received a true first-round grade from Miller.

“The interior defensive line group is solid and headlined by Woods, the big Clemson 3-technique,” Miller wrote. “His stat line won’t blow you away — he had 11 pressures and two sacks this season — but he rarely loses a rep and is well-rounded as a run defender and pass rusher. Woods’ speed-to-power combination makes him a first-round prospect despite the lack of top-tier production, and scouts point to his ability to develop into more of a pass-rush problem once he becomes more polished in setting up moves and using his physical traits. His tape reminds me of Quinnen Williams at Alabama.”

The 2026 NFL Draft will take place from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.

Woods is the No. 1 defensive tackle and No. 8 overall prospect on Miller’s draft board.

In his three-year Clemson career from 2023-25, Woods was credited with 99 tackles (14.5 for loss), 5.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups over 35 games (24 starts).

This season, Woods became Clemson’s first All-American at defensive tackle since Christian Wilkins’ unanimous selection in 2018. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder started all 12 games in which he appeared in 2025, finishing the season credited by the coaching staff with 40 tackles (3.5 for loss), 2.0 sacks and two pass breakups. He also rushed eight times for 15 yards and two touchdowns, and he was the only player in America in 2025 to record multiple games with both a sack and a rushing touchdown.

A 2023 freshman All-American, Woods joined Clemson as ESPN’s No. 4 overall prospect for the 2023 recruiting class. He was also a first-team All-ACC selection this season.