Longtime ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has released his first 2026 NFL mock draft.

Kiper’s mock draft has a pair of Clemson defenders coming off the board with back-to-back first-round picks, starting with defensive tackle Peter Woods to the Los Angeles Chargers as the 22nd overall selection.

“Woods looked like a top-10 pick heading into the season, but the production dipped, and here he is outside the top 20,” Kiper wrote. “The Chargers won’t complain, though. They would love to bring in a talented 3-technique with strength and versatility. At his best, Woods can wreck an opponent’s game plan. Can coach Jim Harbaugh (and maybe defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, if he isn’t hired elsewhere as a head coach) get Woods’ game back to that level? If so, he’d be a really good replacement for free agent Teair Tart.”

Kiper projects Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell to be taken one pick later and go to the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 23 overall selection.

“Philadelphia could go a lot of directions, especially if it moves on from wide receiver A.J. Brown this offseason,” Kiper wrote. “But one spot that has received a lot of attention is actually on defense. The Eagles tried to fix the CB2 position opposite Quinyon Mitchell (Cooper DeJean is in the slot) with trades for Jaire Alexander and Michael Carter II, but neither move did the trick. Carter barely played down the stretch, and Alexander stepped away from football in mid-November.

“Terrell, though, would be a reliable answer. He broke up nine passes and forced five — yes, five — fumbles in 2025. He’s terrific in man coverage, and coordinator Vic Fangio had his defense in man 55% of the time this season, third most in the NFL.”

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

Woods is the No. 19 overall prospect in Kiper’s latest top-25 Big Board ranking for the 2026 NFL draft class, while Terrell is not ranked among Kiper’s top 25 overall draft prospects. Kiper has Woods as the No. 2 defensive tackle in this year’s class and Terrell as the third-ranked cornerback.

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) in his Clemson career from 2023-25. In 2025, he became Clemson’s first All-American at defensive tackle since Christian Wilkins’ unanimous selection in 2018, and he was the only player in America in 2025 to record multiple games with both a sack and a rushing touchdown.

A 2025 All-American and Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist, Terrell was credited with 128 tackles (9.0 for loss), 30 pass breakups, three interceptions, 4.0 sacks, eight forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries across 39 games (31 starts) in his career as a Tiger from 2023-25. The two-time All-ACC selection set Clemson records for a defensive back in forced fumbles in a season (five in 2025) and a career (eight from 2023-25), and he led all cornerbacks nationally in forced fumbles across his three-year Clemson career.