The Chiefs took Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods with pick No. 29 in the first round. We have insta-grades from three members of the Arrowhead Pride Draft Team.
For large portions of the offseason and during early draft talks, some viewed Woods as a potential top ten selection in the draft class, but his stock dropped as time progressed.
Despite this, the Chiefs have bet on Woods’ upside as a pass rusher compared to other top defensive tackles in the draft class, and have set themselves up in a good position to continue to add to the defensive line in later rounds.
Woods is a penetrator and can win snaps quickly, and with good lateral movement ability and burst off the snap, he can be an immediate impact maker on pass rush downs for the Chiefs.
There are concerns about Woods overall athletic profile and lack of production during his time at Clemson, but the Chiefs will bank on him continuing to develop as a pass rusher and become a disruptor alongside Chris Jones.
I don’t really like this pick. I don’t see the vision for Peter Woods. He lacks size and length, which makes it hard for him to get off blocks cleanly. He’s a pretty good athlete, but not a special athlete. He has no developed pass rush moves right now. Last season, Peter Woods finished with more rushing yards than pressures.
This is also a weird fit with Omarr Norman-Lott. Both of those guys are penetrators that are likely three techniques. How can you play both of them? Woods is more talented than Norman-Lott, but Norman-Lott was a second-round pick just one year ago. Is this acknowledging that was a bad pick already?
Woods is a good run defender and maybe there’s a chance he can tap into some of his best moments on film. But I don’t see enough upside and there’s a low floor for a player like this with little production. Just not a fan of how the Chiefs executed in the first-round.
The Chiefs go with their hopeful Chris Jones replacement. He has all the tools to reach that ceiling but he is still a very raw player who has yet to put it all together. While he offers some pass rush juice, Woods is not the pass rusher that some other guys on the board at edge give you more presser on the quarterback.
Woods entered the 2025 college season as the first overall pick in the draft, and underperformed to the point he slid to the end of the first round. This tells you in my opinion everything you need to know. I’m not a fan of drafting high upside guys who don’t put it on tape. The NFL is not a developmental league and Woods needs to be developed. If he reaches his full potential then he could be special. I’m just not sure it’s going to happen
