Former Clemson standouts and NFL rookie first-round picks Blake Miller and Peter Woods earned high Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades following strong debuts.

Miller, for the Detroit Lions, and Woods, for the Kansas City Chiefs, put together impressive performances during their Week 1 debuts in the NFL.

Miller earned a 74.7 PFF grade over 77 snaps in Detroit’s 31-30, overtime win over the New Orleans Saints. It’s the second-best offensive grade among rookie offensive linemen in Week 1, and the best among rookie offensive tackles.

“Miller turned in the highest-graded performance by a rookie offensive tackle this week,” PFF wrote. “He allowed just one hurry across 41 pass-blocking reps in the Lions’ shootout win over New Orleans. He also collected four positive grades as a run blocker. Miller’s quick acclimation to Detroit’s starting right tackle position is a major boon to the team’s offensive line.”

Unfortunately, Miller was ruled out for the Lions’ Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night due to a knee injury, ending his durability streak, as he never missed a game throughout his four-year career at Clemson.

Woods, meanwhile, recorded a 70.1 PFF grade across 29 snaps in Kansas City’s 31-10 victory over the Denver Broncos. His grade ranks second among rookie defensive tackles for the opening weekend.

“Woods joined his fellow rookie Chiefs defenders in making an instant impact during the team’s thrashing of the Broncos,” PFF wrote. “He collected a pressure that became a hurry over 17 pass-rushing snaps, although his 61.5 PFF run-defense grade wasn’t quite on par.”

Miller was selected by the Lions with the 17th overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, before the Chiefs took Woods with the No. 29 overall selection.

Miller was a mainstay on Clemson’s offensive line for the last four seasons, breaking the Clemson record for career snaps from scrimmage by playing 3,778 offensive snaps over 54 career games from 2022-25. The three-time All-ACC selection started every game Clemson played in his entire career and set the Clemson record for consecutive starts by a non-specialist with 54. 

Woods entered the NFL ranks after earning All-America recognition for his junior campaign in 2025. He was Clemson’s first AP All-American at defensive tackle since Christian Wilkins in 2018, and he finished his Clemson career with 99 tackles (14.5 for loss), five sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups over 35 games (24 starts) from 2023-25. He also scored two rushing touchdowns as a contributor on offense.