After Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods came off the board 12 picks later when the Kansas City Chiefs took him with the 29th overall pick.
Woods became the highest Clemson defensive tackle selected since Bryan Bresee was picked by the New Orleans Saints with an identical No. 29 overall selection in 2023. Woods and Bresee represent Clemson’s only two selections at No. 29 in school history.
Woods became the eighth Clemson defensive tackle selected in the first round all-time but the fourth since 2019. He became the 12th Clemson defensive tackle of the Dabo Swinney era to be selected in the NFL Draft, the seventh Tiger selected by the Chiefs all-time, and the first interior defensive lineman selected by the Chiefs in the first round of a draft since Kansas City selected two-time Pro Bowler Dontari Poe with the No. 11 overall pick in 2012.
Following the selection of Woods, NFL Network analysts Daniel Jeremiah, Charles Davis and Joel Klatt weighed in on the pick. Here’s what they had to say:
Jeremiah: “This is a team in Kansas City last year defensively that was not good on third down. They were 29th in the league. They go out and get a corner to replace some of the guys they lost, including [Trent] McDuffie, with their first pick in [LSU’s Mansoor] Delane. Now they come back with Woods, try and get some more of that pass rush.
“He’s never going to see a double-team, so long as Chris Jones is out there on the field for that front. The quickness is what you’re buying here. Some of the comparisons were to [Seattle Seahawks DT] Byron Murphy. I think Byron Murphy is a little stronger, a little stouter. But the similarity is that quickness, their ability to get up the field. He’s got tons of range. You saw a little bit better version of him in ’24 than you saw in ’25. This is the stuff you want to see more of. He’s got it, to be able to stack and shed. Just want to see him be a little more consistent, playing with that type of violence. But the pass rush, the ability to get up the field – that’s what you’re buying, more so than the run defense. The run defense is going to be about penetration.”
Davis: I think overall, when you look at this – DJ made the point about Chris Jones and helping him out – their other defensive tackles have kind of moved on out of the way. Early in his career, his job – take care of Chris Jones. Later on, you might be able to get your own. But right now, take on some blockers and give Chris Jones some space.”
Klatt: “What I loved about him is that he played with tremendous effort in both the pass game and against the run. He can fill it up. But you’re right, DJ – a couple years ago, his better film. But that was the case with most of the players at Clemson. They all took a little bit of a step back. They underachieved last year as a team. But he certainly has the potential. If he would have been in last year’s draft and come out, he would have been a much higher pick. But here he is still in the first round.”
–Clemson Athletic Communications contributed to this story