The Carolina Panthers, after making the playoffs for the first time since 2017, will now enter this offseason with plenty of momentum for the future.

Unfortunately, the franchise’s successful run during the 2025  season put the Panthers in a less-than-ideal spot for the upcoming NFL Draft. Instead of possessing a top-10 pick in the draft, general manager Dan Morgan is in uncharted territory this year, as Carolina landed the No. 19 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Last year, Morgan struck gold in the first round with Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who is the current favorite to win the 2025 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Award after recording 1,095 yards and seven touchdowns. But with the team’s focus on the offensive side of the ball throughout the previous drafts, it’s clear that Morgan must improve the defense prior to the 2026 season.

Luckily for fans, the Panthers could be in line to select Clemson’s star defensive tackle Peter Woods in the first round due to his draft stock taking a hit in his final season with the Tigers.

Woods entered the 2025 college football season as one of the best defensive players in the 2026 draft cycle after an impressive sophomore year with Clemson. The highly-touted interior threat ended his 2024 campaign with 28 tackles, eight tackles for losses, and three sacks, which caught the attention of many NFL scouts.

With high expectations set upon him heading into the most recent college football season, Woods showed flashes of his sophomore self, but was unable to repeat the success.

In 2025, Woods ended the year with 30 tackles, three tackles for losses, and two sacks. While he still managed to fill out the stat sheet throughout his 12 games played with the Tigers, Woods failed to show consistency from game to game, causing many analysts to knock him down their big boards.

This, however, could be the perfect opportunity for the Panthers to capitalize and select a talented interior threat to pair with star defensive tackle Derrick Brown.

At 6-foot-3, 315 lbs., Woods has shown to be a game wrecker on the defensive line as a pass rusher and a run stopper. His ability to be a force in both aspects could free up more for Brown and 2025 second-round pick Nic Scourton, who is coming off an impressive first season with the organization.

While the Panthers need another pass rusher on the opposite side of Scourton, Carolina is likely out of range for the top-three EDGE prospects (Ohio State’s Avrell Reese, Miami’s Rueben Bain, and Texas Tech’s David Bailey). The next-best option would be to once again take a defensive end in round two, which means a combination of Woods and an EDGE could completely revamp the front four in 2026.

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