Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods. Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Clemson's awful 2025 shouldn't sink Peter Woods' NFL Draft stock

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Dec 9, 2025 5:29 PM ET

The Clemson Tigers are losing one of their few bright spots from the 2025 season.

On Tuesday, junior defensive tackle Peter Woods confirmed he's declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, scheduled April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.

Entering the season, Clemson was considered a national title contender after making the College Football Playoff in 2024. However, the Tigers fell way short of expectations, going 7-5 and finishing seventh in the ACC. Despite the disappointing season, Woods should be among the first players selected in April.

Why Clemson DT Peter Woods is a potential first-round pick

Listed at 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, Woods has the size NFL teams covet in DTs. More importantly, he knows how to make use of it.

Thank You Clemson Family . pic.twitter.com/ibamSl7xtq
— Peter Woods (@35Pwoo) December 9, 2025

In three seasons with the Tigers, Woods amassed 82 tackles and five sacks. This past season, the DT had a career-high 30 tackles in 12 games.

On his updated big board, ESPN's Matt Miller noted that teams will wish Woods had more sacks throughout his college career. However, he rated him as the No. 10 prospect in the class.

"Woods is a three-technique defensive tackle with the quickness to be an immediate pocket disruptor in the NFL," wrote Miller. "He gets double-teamed a lot because offensive linemen struggle to match his first step in one-on-one situations. Woods has the strength to counter that, accumulating five career sacks and 42 hurries despite the extra attention."

Tankathon's latest mock draft has the Baltimore Ravens (6-7) selecting Woods with pick No. 13 in the first round. That would be a solid pairing. He could help improve Baltimore's 15th-ranked run defense (111.9), one reason it finds itself outside the playoff picture.

Clemson's season didn't go to plan, but that shouldn't impact Woods' draft stock. Teams and scouts should know he remains among the top prospects in the class.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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