Peter Woods Proves to be a Real Handful

I’ve never seen anything like him before.

It’s like Clemson’s defensive lineman Peter Woods was put together in a science lab.

I’m not kidding.

He’s a large man with extreme strength and power. He looks like a defensive tackle at first glance. He’s thick and stout, but then he also shows the speed, acceleration, and moves of an elite pass-rushing prospect.

It’s wild.

Sounds too good to be true.

But it’s not.

Woods is fun to watch

I love evaluating dominant pass rushers, and I knew right away, watching the first half of the first game I was watching, that Woods was the next one.

He just jumped off the screen.

“This is the best defensive lineman I’ve seen since Jalen Carter.”

That’s what was going through my mind as I sat there watching the first half of that game film playing in front of my eyes.

Defensive lineman

That’s what they say Woods’ position is because he doesn’t just line up at one traditional spot.

Sometimes he comes off the left or right edge. At other times, he’s lined up at left or right defensive tackle. There were even a couple of plays when they dropped him off into coverage.

The crazy part is that at his size, he’s athletic enough to excel at everything they ask him to do.

I mean he chases down screen passes like somebody stole something. He hunts down outside runs in a similar fashion, which helps to explain the 8.5 tackles for loss.

Explosive power

Woods jacks full-grown offensive guards and tackles with authority. I mean, you can see these big boys getting jolted backward when they absorb Woods initially. He bends back these big boys like the strong straight-line winds bend back trees.

This big man packs one heck of a punch.

Offenses respond by double-teaming him regularly, but Woods has enough to him to be able to cut through that much man as well on his path to the quarterback.

I won’t kid you, there are times Woods is unblockable.

Point-blank.

That’s the kind of power we’re talking about.

Want

It’s the thing that separates the busts from the greats.

There are moments when Woods looks like a man amongst boys. He takes over. He goes into beast mode and overwhelms everyone in his path. Woods hits people so hard at times it’s like watching someone breaking down someone’s front door with a baseball bat.

Is he like this on every play?

I wish.

He’s not, and that’s my biggest criticism.

But there are a few eyebrow-raising pass rushes in every game that make you just sit back and say, “Wow.”

The rest of the time?

Ehh.

How good is he?

Woods could be the first defensive prospect off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft based on his 2024 film.

There’s still another season to be played in 2025, and he’ll either get better or worse.

Better?

Scary thought.

#11 Peter Woods 6-foot-3, 315 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Summer Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of July 20, 2025

2024 game film evaluated: Georgia, Wake Forest, Appalachian State, FSU, Virginia, Louisville, PITT, The Citadel, South Carolina, Texas, and SMU (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Missed two games with a leg injury and one game with a head injury (2024)

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Dominant rotational three-down tone setter. Violent nature. Equally distributed upper and lower body muscle mass. Initial quickness. Moves well for a man his size. Stands up off the edge or puts his hand down in the dirt. Tenacious. Uses hands well. Polished pass rush toolbox (showed rip, spin, slap-and-go, and headfake). Signature swim move. Has the speed and acceleration to burst into the pocket. Can adjust. Ran regular “X” stunts. Can shoot gaps or overpower people. Hunkers down versus the run. Engulfs ball carriers in the run game. Wrapping tackler. Can be fooled by misdirection.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. Staying healthy?

2. Level of consistency?

3. Getting fooled by play misdirection?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.