Clemson Star Defender Joins AFC Contender on Day 3 of NFL Draft

The Clemson Tigers have had a bunch of players selected in this year's NFL Draft, and on Day 3, another star Clemson defender flew off the board.

With the 123rd overall pick of the draft, the Houston Texans selected Clemson linebacker Wade Woodaz, making him the latest Tigers defender chosen.

Woodaz had a very solid career at Clemson, which began in 2022. His best year came in 2024, when he racked up 83 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception, three forced fumbles and five passes defended.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound star ran a ridiculous 4.46-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, a truly incredible mark for a linebacker.

Because Peter Woods, Avieon Terrell and T.J. Parker were all far bigger names, Woodaz flew under the radar, but there is no question he is a massive sleeper.

The Texans are also very good at identifying talent defensively, so they clearly must see something they really like in Woodaz.

Woodaz had a solid final season at Clemson, finishing with 70 tackles, seven tackles for loss and three passes defended, but he definitely took a step back from 2024.

But so did most players on the Tigers, who went just 7-6 this past season in spite of entering the year with national championship aspirations.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com sees both sides of the coin with Woodaz.

"Two-year starter who punches in and goes to work but fails to stamp games with high-level impact," Zierlein wrote. "Woodaz has adequate size and diagnose quickness. However, he lacks base strength and take-on pop to keep himself clean through contact. He displays good awareness in zone drops and has enough man-cover talent to match with some pass-catching tight ends underneath."

For a Day 3 selection, though, you can't ask for much more.

Woodaz could end up being one of the better value picks of the fourth round and may see himself carving out a role with Houston as soon as his rookie campaign.

We'll see how much playing time he gets in Year 1.