Why Clemson DL Peter Woods Might Be Too Risky for Broncos

Finding Broncos is back, with gusto. Draft season is officially upon us, and we're breaking down the 2026 class with individual scouting reports. Let's talk about Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods.

Background

Woods was rated the ninth-best overall prospect by ESPN when he entered college, with Rivals giving him its maximum 6.1 grade. He chose Clemson from the start and made an immediate impact as a freshman, showing signs of a promising future.

Stats

Woods played 1,258 snaps on defense in three years, with 759 coming as a pass rusher. He picked up 54 total pressures and six sacks, with 14 pressures and three sacks in 2025.

Over three years, Woods missed 18 total tackles, with an even split of six per season. He picked up 61 total stops, with 20 in 2023 and 2024, and 21 in 2025.

Pros

Peter Woods. — Peter Woods sacks the quarterback. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co Inc SC / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Woods shows power and explosiveness off the snap, and he has a good build on his maxed-out frame. He fires off the snap with quickness and carries that over to his initial moves. He also works his body in unison, with his hands and feet working together, and good balance.

Woods plays with a sound base that can be hard to dislodge when he does get set with his anchor at the point of attack. He also shows good awareness and timing in his block-shedding to disrupt the runner or even make the tackle. His power also shows up when he takes on blocks on the move, especially during stunts and twists.

Woods can generate power from his lower half and torque it through his loose hips to create movement when a blocker anchors. He has a natural feel for blocking schemes as a defender and an innate ability to split double teams with notable consistency.

The base is the foundation of Woods's draft projection; it's so clean and consistent, and everything starts there. When he does lose reps early, that sound base gives him a good shot at recovery, which he has consistently proven on tape.

Cons

Can Woods hold up at the point of attack against double teams? There is power and strength, but his anchor is questionable, and he is much better as an attacker than as a passive player. Woods also has shorter arms, which is concerning enough, but he doesn’t protect his chest nearly enough to mitigate the issue.

What does Woods'pass rush move arsenal have? There are a lot of work-in-progress tools, but he doesn’t have a go-to move, and they all need significant technical improvement to be consistent weapons. This is a major reason he took a step back in 2025 and wasn't able to fully live up to expectations in college.

Woods went from a consensus top 15 pick before the 2025 season to a second-round projection. Where was the improvement? That is going to lead to a lot of questions about his work ethic and desire to be something great, or whether he thought he could coast in 2025.

Woods made a lot of risky plays, and they rarely hit, especially in 2025. The lack of discipline put a strain on the Clemson defense. It made Woods look like a selfish player seeking glory, but there is no shortcut to glory in the NFL.

Fit With the Broncos

Woods is a tough one because, when he is on, he is a great prospect, but there is a lot of risk to him, and while he isn’t a project, per se, he is pretty close to one. Can Denver afford to take that kind of risk with only one top-100 pick this year, even if he fell to 62 overall?

Make no mistake, Woods would in well with the scheme, but does the player makeup fit the culture in Denver? I'm not sure.

Grade

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