One Clemson defensive tackle's polarizing traits make him a risky first-round pick, but the Buffalo Bills are betting on his disruptive upside.
It's an indictment on head coach Dabo Swinney that Clemson has just one player projected to go in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Swinney has struggled to recruit in the NIL era, and he hasn't made the adjustments necessary to land enough elite talent in the transfer portal.
The Tigers entered the 2025 campaign with a No. 4 ranking, but quickly fell out of the Top 25 not long after losing 17-10 to LSU in Week 1. LSU head coach Brian Kelly didn't even last the season.
Field Yates of ESPN revealed his mock draft for 2026 on Wednesday. Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods is the only Tiger to make his Day 1 list.
Yates has Woods going to the Buffalo Bills at No. 26.
"Woods is a polarizing evaluation for scouts," Yates wrote. "He's an explosive, twitchy, powerful defensive tackle with natural disruption skills. But there's a worry about his shorter frame/arms, and his skill set did not often lead to production (only five sacks in three college seasons).
"I'll bet on the athletic upside of Woods, who occasionally played fullback -- he even scored a touchdown against Boston College last season. He's an urgent and sudden player who can impact both a pass rush and run defense. The Bills need a ton of the latter after allowing the third-most yards per rush in 2025 (5.1)."
Woods, a junior from Alabaster, Alabama, recorded 30 total tackles and two sacks in 2025. He finished his three-year career with 82 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and five sacks.
Before the season, Clemson defensive line coach Nick Eason suggested that Woods needed to work on daily habits to become a better player.
"It just comes down to consistency for Peter, being consistent, taking care of his body and just being what he's capable of being," Eason said, via USA Today. "And I've challenged him in the area of his life to be better, and he's responded to that, so I'm really proud of him for that.
"And I think that it just starts with those daily decisions, daily habits. It comes down to just taking care of his body, leading from the front and all the workouts. It's about what you eat, how you eat, it's about how you sleep, it's the little things."
Woods will need to take those lessons with him to the NFL. The six-foot-three, 315-pound athlete has potential, but he must become more consistent to be a top player in the league.