Kansas City Chiefs take Clemson's Peter Woods in round one
Clemson has its second first-round draft pick in 2026.
Former defensive tackle Peter Woods was taken 29th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs Thursday night.
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Woods had been widely projected as a first-rounder after forgoing his senior season, as expected, to turn pro.
He follows former Tiger offensive lineman Blake Miler who was selected in round one by Detroit earlier in the evening.
Said Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney following Woods’ selection: “Peter Woods is just unique. I haven’t had many guys like him. He’s just got a unique skill set that’s hard to find. He’s powerful, he’s fast, he’s twitchy, he’s unbelievably strong, he’s smart. This kid’s a winner. He’s a four-time high school state champion that played in five state championships in a row. He started at one of the best schools in Alabama as a high school player in eighth grade. He’s a guy that has great readiness to come in and be a pro.
“Honestly, he’s probably a guy that could have made a team two years ago, so he’s going to fit right in day one and will be ready to compete. He learns the game easily. It’s hard to find guys that have his uniqueness.
“He really will be different from probably anybody else that’s in the room with him. He played all the special teams for us his whole career, played offense for us, and he’s also a graduate in three years, which shows you his maturity, his ability to manage his time and to achieve a goal that he set forward.”
Woods, who is now the 20th first-rounder in the Swinney era, was a second-team All-American by the Associated Press in 2025 where he finished his third and final season with 40 tackles and two sacks in over 500 snaps.
The Alabaster (Ala.) native saw significant action throughout his collegiate career, having logged over 1,200 snaps and working in 35 games (24 starts).
Woods closed his Clemson career with 99 stops, 14.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.
“They are getting a highly talented football player who is still on the rise, said Clemson defensive tackles coach Nick Eason. “He has football intelligence that’s rare. He is a very unselfish football player who provides position flexibility on the D-Line and even as a RB/H-back on the offensive side of the ball.”
The former Rivals100 member was billed five stars by Rivals out of high school where he was rated second nationally among defensive line prospects and first overall regardless of position in the state of Alabama.
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The Tigers have now had at least one first-round selection in 11 of the last 14 years.
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Clemson has now had at least one player drafted for 24 consecutive years.
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