Former Clemson star Peter Woods hasn’t played in a professional game yet, but he nonetheless hasn’t wasted any time impressing his new coaches since being selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 29 overall pick in the first round of April’s NFL Draft.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and defensive line coach Joe Cullen both spoke glowingly about what they saw from the rookie defensive tackle during OTAs.
Spagnuolo has been highly impressed with Woods’ focus and how the 2025 first-team All-ACC selection carries himself at the beginning of his NFL career, not to mention his ability on the field.
“I’ve been really, really impressed with [Peter],” Spagnuolo said as Chiefs OTAs wrapped up June 3. “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.”
Not only was Woods a first-team all-conference honoree in his final season at Clemson, but he was a second-team All-American in 2025 as well, becoming the first defensive tackle since Christian Wilkins in 2018 to earn All-American status at Clemson.
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. The former five-star prospect from Alabama and 2023 freshman All-American 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.
Cullen praised Woods for multiple attributes he brings to the table, including his quickness, explosiveness, strong motor and versatility, which he displayed in 2024 while splitting time between defensive tackle and defensive end.
“He’s big, he’s explosive, he’s athletic, he played multiple positions at Clemson, and he has a high motor,” Cullen said on June 3. “He’s 310 pounds, and he has quickness, explosiveness and he’s athletic. He can bend for a big guy.”
Cullen added that he likes where Woods is at right now in terms of his physique.
“He asked me that,” Cullen said of Woods, who is listed at 6-foot-3, 310 pounds on the Chiefs’ official roster. “A couple years prior, they [Clemson] had him playing like a big end in their scheme. They changed coordinators, and he was like 325. But I think he’s great right where he’s at, 305-310, somewhere around there.”
Earlier this month, 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.
