Chicago Bears 2026 NFL Draft Target Takes Steep Fall Down Analyst's Board

The Chicago Bears could use the kind of burst defensive tackle Peter Woods has. Examples of it are littered all over his film.

But Essentially Sports' draft analyst Tony Pauline disagrees. His latest big board entry has Woods falling from No. 18 to No. 30 overall in what is nothing short of a steep decline.

"Advertised as a big, athletic tackle, Woods performed poorly last season and has not distinguished himself during the predraft process," Pauline wrote. "After not working out at the combine, where he measured 6-foot-2.5 and 298 pounds, Woods ran two 10-yard splits during pro day (timing a best of 1.67 seconds) and never completed the 40 due to an alleged left hamstring strain."

"He also touched 29 inches in the vertical jump, a number that certainly does not put him in the category of 'big and athletic.' Woods went from 18 to 30 on the board," Pauline added.

Should the Bears have concerns about drafting Peter Woods?

Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods (11) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. — Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network mocked Woods to the Bears back in February, noting "Woods probably is the most explosive of the group and brings some juice on the interior."

That's exactly the profile Dennis Allen needs among his interior defensive linemen within his 4-3 defense.

But does Woods match that profile? We wrote previously that Woods' PFF grades fell from 88.6 to 81.2 in run defense and pass rush, respectively, in 2024 to 75.9 and 74.0 in 2025.

Still, KIEQ on the Mic suggests Woods is the massive favorite for the Bears at 25.

"You look at Peter Woods as an elite run defender, and that is obviously the Chicago Bears biggest need," he said of Woods. "He's very scheme versatile in terms of being an interior weapon. He can play three tech as a penetrator. He could play two eye as a gap control guy. He could play 4i (in) a hybrid front. So there's many different things that Dennis Allen would be able to do with Peter Woods um to try to create mismatch on this Bears' defensive line."

Some might remember the Bears selecting a defensive tackle from Clemson. The Bears selected William "Refrigerator" Perry at 22 overall in 1985. That worked out pretty well.

Opinions on Woods' overall game appear varied enough to think Woods being available at 25 overall is a realistic possibility. He would fill a position of need, even if his final collegiate season wasn't his best.