Now that the Panthers have officially entered their offseason, we look ahead toward the 2026 NFL Draft. This weekly series will take a closer look at some of the prospects the Carolina Panthers could select
in the 2026 iteration of the Draft. In this series, we’ll only be looking at prospects the Panthers could seriously consider. This week our profile will focus on Clemson Tigers defensive lineman Peter Woods.
Bio
Woods spent his high school years putting up generational numbers in Alabama, winning four straight state championships and piling up insane stats (260 tackles, 72 TFLs, and nearly 30 sacks). The ninth overall prospect in 2023 committed to Clemson and started making an impact almost immediately. He earned Freshman All-American honors despite only playing about 300 snaps for the Tigers. Since his freshman year, he has split time between defensive tackle and edge defender, showcasing a versatility not usually seen in players his size. He was even used by the offense in jumbo packages to take advantage of his size and athleticism. While he had a relatively down year, so did the rest of the Clemson defense. Woods still has the traits that will absolutely get him drafted in the first round, early second round at worst.
Strengths/Weaknesses
The combination of size and athleticism pops on tape for Woods. The 6’3”, 315 lbs monster explodes off the snap and has the bend to squeeze through gaps that most interior lineman wouldn’t dream of even trying. He also has the strength in his lower body and violent hands to hold up in the run game and collapse the pocket. The intangibles are also off the charts for Woods, as he has a very high motor, positional flexibility, and high coachability.
While his athleticism often lets him break through the line, he doesn’t have a full set of actual pass rush moves. That plus an inconsistent tackling technique lead to Woods being a dominant force who sometimes struggles to finish the plays. A perfect example is his ten quarterback hurries in the 2025 season while only notching two sacks. If he can get his production to match his physical dominance, he’ll be an absolute game wrecker.
Projection
Woods could have been a consensus top five selection with a better season this year, but he is still highly thought of and likely a first round pick. His positional versatility means teams that run odd fronts or even fronts could be in on Woods’s disruptive potential. Most quarterbacks struggle with inside pressure, so a player like Woods will be highly coveted by today’s defensive coordinators. Woods also shows up against the run consistently and has the size and strength to anchor when necessary.
While the Panthers defense showed marked improvement compared to the 2024 historically bad unit, the team could still use some game changers on that side of the ball. While they have some good players on the defensive line, Panthers DC Ejiro Evero loves rotating those guys out a lot to keep them fresh. Adding some youth and athleticism to that group could take the defense to the next level.
What do you think, Panthers fans? If Peter Woods is available when the Panthers select in the 2026 NFL Draft, should they take him? Sound off in the comments!
