Clemson Tigers Land Player on Mel Kiper Jr.'s Top 25 NFL Draft Prospects List

With just one game remaining in yet another great season of college football, all eyes will soon turn to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the site of the 2026 NFL Draft. That’s when the Clemson Tigers will see their next class of players enter the professional level.

Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN's longtime NFL Draft analyst, certainly already has his eyes there. After the College Football Playoff semifinals this week, Kiper released his updated rankings, and unsurprisingly, Clemson wiggled its way onto the board.

Enter Peter Woods, defensive tackle and occasional running back for Dabo Swinney. Despite a relatively average season by Woods' standards, the 6-3, 315-pound tackle landed at No. 22 on Kiper's list of prospects.

The only defensive tackle ranked higher on the draft board than Woods was Ohio State's Kayden McDonald, who dropped in at No. 18.

Kiper wrote that Woods' "skill set is exactly what NFL teams covet."

"He has the versatility to move around on a defensive front. He plays on the inside the majority of the time, but he also can be disruptive off the edge," Kiper added.

This year, Woods recorded 30 total tackles, a personal best. However, with 21 of those tackles coming from assists, Woods notched only nine solo tackles — a significant drop from his 18 solo tackles in 2024.

Woods added another dimension to his game this year, with two rushing touchdowns on eight total carries. While he won't be drafted for his rushing ability, the prominence of short-yardage and goal-line plays like the "Tush Push" in the NFL could create additional value for the 20-year-old prospect.

While Woods was the only Tiger in Kiper's top 25 prospects, a few other names were listed as some of the best at their position.

Offensive tackle Blake Miller was listed just outside the top 10 offensive tackle prospects. Miller, a 2025 team captain and the all-time leader in snaps at Clemson, was given high praise by head coach Dabo Swinney after his last-ever collegiate game.

"I don't know how many tackles go in the first or second round, but if there’s eight tackles better than that guy, I need to see it," Swinney said after the Pinstripe Bowl.

T.J. Parker was Kiper's No. 2-ranked outside linebacker prospect. The 6-3 junior has recorded 127 total tackles (68 solo), 21.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in three seasons at Clemson.

The final Tiger to receive mention from Kiper was Avieon Terrell, coming in as the No. 3 cornerback in the nation. The two cornerbacks ahead of Terrell, Tennessee's Jermod McCoy and LSU's Mansoor Delane, were both listed as top 25 prospects.

Terrell has 125 tackles (90 solo), 25 passes defended, four sacks, three interceptions and eight forced fumbles in three seasons at Clemson.

While their exact draft positions remain uncertain, one thing is clear: Clemson's next generation of NFL talent is ready to make noise.