Instant reaction: Chiefs pick Clemson DT Peter Woods in 2026 NFL Draft

The Kansas City Chiefs doubled down on defense in the 2026 NFL Draft, adding Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Peter Woods with the 29th overall pick. Chris Jones is still a dominant force, but Woods projects as his potential long-term successor on Steve Spagnuolo's defensive front.

Woods lacks traditional measurables, but don't mistake him for just a penetrating 3-tech. Woods is an explosive, powerful athlete who does some of his best work in the run game. He plays with low leverage and uses powerful arm extensions to stack, peek and shed blocks at a high level. Woods' arms are only 31 1/4" inches long, but his heavy, active hands help him deconstruct and separate from blocks. Double teams give Woods some issues, but solo offensive linemen struggle to contain him at the point of attack.

Woods is an explosive athlete with the lightning-quick first step to cross the guard's face and exchange gaps. He uses his natural leverage advantage to pry up the offensive lineman's pad level and walk them back into the pocket. Woods' pass rush plan includes converting speed to power, chops, club-swims and two-handed swipes. His pass rush arsenal still needs to expand to make him more effective on passing downs, but he's a bowling ball with butcher knives for hands.

Overall, Woods is an exciting athlete with unique positional versatility that pairs well with his burst to shoot gaps and violent hands to discard blocks. He was viewed as a potential top-five pick over the summer. The Chiefs landing him late in the first round is a steal. He and LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane will serve as pillars for Kansas City's retooling defense.

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Instant reaction: KC Chiefs draft Clemson Tigers DT Peter Woods