How Impactful Can Peter Woods Truly Be for the Chiefs As a Rookie?

At the height of its powers, the Kansas City Chiefs' defense was unpredictable. Sure, opposing offenses could count on coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to bring the heat, but they never seemed to figure out when pressure was coming — or where it was coming from.

In recent seasons, however, the pass rush declined and Spagnuolo's greatness hasn't been able to shine through as a result. Last year's effort was poor, and a stale front line made it infinitely more difficult to not rely on spamming the blitz button.

This offseason, general manager Brett Veach rebuilt that side of the ball. One first-year man, defensive tackle Peter Woods, could be a key part of righting the ship. Chiefs On SI is ranking the top 25 Chiefs for the upcoming season, and Woods checks in as the first rookie to make the cut at No. 20.

Why Woods Is So Important

On paper, the 2025-26 Chiefs defense didn't look too bad. It ranked 14th and 11th in yards and points per drive, after all, and was 12th in EPA per play (per SumerSports). But critical situational spots like the red zone (21st in EPA/play) showed something different. The group also got absolutely diced up on play-action passes:

Defensive EPA splits vs play action last season. Chiefs got cooked on these pic.twitter.com/nIjCYZoEbO
— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) May 27, 2026

Much of the problem was personnel, especially on the interior. All-Pro Chris Jones, albeit not at peak form, continued to play high-level snaps. Derrick Nnadi, Jerry Tillery and Mike Pennel all failed to deliver anything resembling league-average production. Something was missing.

With Khyiris Tonga signed to a multi-year deal and Omarr Norman-Lott returning from a torn ACL, there's less pressure on someone like Woods to perform. Still, he remains an intriguing option due to his pass-rushing chops and a lack of talent at the defensive end spot. K.C. needs its tackles to prosper to offset everything else.

Woods's Strengths and Weaknesses

Coming into the 2025 collegiate year, Woods generated buzz as a potential top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He was coming off a three-sack 2024 season at Clemson that saw him notch 8.5 tackles for loss and showcase an immense blend of athleticism, fluidity and upside. That campaign remains a massive part of his long-term NFL intrigue, as last year wasn't too kind to him.

At his best, Woods plays bigger than he is against the run and is explosive and disruptive when hunting the quarterback. His raw talent might be second to none at his position when considering this draft class. A profile featuring plus timing, strength, motor and more played a role in his true pass set win rate of 21% being higher than many eventual star NFL linemen, including Jones.

The obvious downsides for Woods begin with his measurables. He's got small hands and short arms, ranking in the respective sixth and fifth percentiles pre-draft. Much of his production came earlier in his Clemson career, making it difficult to project what the real version of him is. He'll need to rein in his somewhat undisciplined playstyle to become more consistent as a pro.

Woods could be a true boom-or-bust NFL player, but that's a perfectly fine pickup at 29th overall.

What Happens If Woods Gets Hurt?

Fortunately for the Chiefs, Tonga is a near-perfect fit next to Jones. He's a run-stuffer capable of handling a traditional nose guard role, commanding double-teams and playing quality run defense. He's more of an occasional penetrator than anything else as a pass rusher, though, thus feeding into speculation that he'll come off the field on late downs.

If Woods does suffer a first-year injury, the team is better insulated for it than it was when Norman-Lott went down. Tonga can continue to play on first and second down, and it's worth monitoring how bulked-up the latter is during training camp.

Coming into his rookie year, Norman-Lott looked bigger than he played at Tennessee, making many question what his ultimate role would be.

Kansas City is legitimately four deep at defensive tackle, which is nice. Don't get it twisted, however: Woods not being available would make Spagnuolo's life more difficult.

Why We Ranked Woods Here

It's a testament to Woods's perceived potential that he made it onto our top 25 list, coming off an underwhelming end to his college career, before he's even played an NFL snap. If everything breaks right, he could be an heir apparent to Jones and inject multiple highlight-reel plays into a defense that needs it.

How — and how often — the Chiefs unleash Woods in year No. 1 is worth keeping an eye on. Will he be a designated pass rusher in packages next to Jones? Will he fail to crack the rotation beyond late downs due to Tonga's presence? Could he kick outside to play a de facto defensive end role? The immediate range of outcomes is wide.

That's simultaneously why the Woods pick is so fun and why there's so much left to figure out.

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