After being selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 29 overall pick in the first round of April’s NFL Draft, former Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods didn’t waste any time impressing his new Chiefs coaches and teammates.

Woods has clearly made a major impression on this ESPN reporter, as well.

Nate Taylor – who has worked in the Kansas City market and covered the Chiefs since 2018, and joined ESPN as the Chiefs NFL Nation beat reporter in July 2025 – gave plenty of high praise to Woods.

Taylor called Woods a “revelation” at Chiefs training camp, naming him as Kansas City’s top performer so far at camp.

“Rookie defensive tackle Peter Woods has been a revelation,” Taylor wrote. “Not only has the first-round pick made an impact in each practice, but Woods has quickly shown that he has the quickness and strength to be a potential impact player next to pass rusher Chris Jones. Veterans including center Creed Humphrey, right guard Trey Smith and defensive end George Karlaftis have praised Woods throughout camp.”

Taylor highlighted Woods’ unique explosiveness and reported that one of the former Clemson All-American’s highlights was running down Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the three-time Super Bowl champion, three-time Super Bowl MVP and two-time NFL MVP.

“Woods’ explosive ability has helped him produce highlight moments in the trenches, whether blowing by Humphrey on a running play or showing off his pass-rush skills in one-on-one drills,” Taylor wrote. “Just last week, the 6-foot-3, 310-pound Woods sprinted to chase down Patrick Mahomes, impressing the quarterback.”

In June, Woods and the Chiefs agreed to a four-year, $18 million fully guaranteed rookie deal. He reportedly secured a $9.5 million signing bonus, earning the highest upfront percentage of a signing bonus in the team’s first-round history.

Woods was a second-team All-American in 2025, the first defensive tackle since Christian Wilkins in 2018 to earn All-American status at Clemson.

A first-team All-ACC selection last season, as well, Woods was credited by the coaching staff with 40 tackles (3.5 for loss), two sacks and two pass breakups in 554 defensive snaps, while starting all 12 games he appeared in.

Woods was credited with 99 tackles (14.5 for loss), five sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups in his 35-game college career from 2023-25. He was a Freshman All-American in 2023 and was named Freshman Interior Defender of the Year by College Football Network.

In June, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and defensive line coach Joe Cullen both spoke glowingly about what they saw from the rookie defensive tackle at the start of his NFL career.

“I’ve been really, really impressed with [Peter],” Spagnuolo said. “Not only what he does on the field, but the way he carries himself in the hallways. I think I’ve said this to you guys before — when you stand up in front of them in a unit meeting, you can see all the faces. I mean, you know whether they’re in tune. He’s like focused, and that’s a good thing, especially for a lineman. He seems like he’s got football get-it. I thought he made a couple of good plays today. So, real hopeful for him.”

“He’s big, he’s explosive, he’s athletic, he played multiple positions at Clemson, and he has a high motor,” Cullen added. “He’s 310 pounds, and he has quickness, explosiveness and he’s athletic. He can bend for a big guy.”