Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide's only memory of Peter Woods is getting rejected by the defensive tackle. Now that the Kansas City Chiefs selected the Clemson Tigers' defensive weapon with the 29th overall pick in the first round, Saban spoke highly of Woods.

The seven-time national champion winning coach gave Woods his due credit. Coming out of high school, he was the No.1 defensive tackle recruit out of the state of Alabama. But the defensive tackle sided with Clemson. 

"So we recruited Peter (Woods) for five years; he took one trip to Clemson and committed," Saban said. "The guy does have exceptional initial quickness, can use his hands. He is a good pass rusher. The guy plays hard."

Woods does some of his best work in the run game. He plays low and extends well to control blockers. His USP is his consistency with stacks and sheds. Despite having 31¼-inch arms, his strong hands help him break free.

Woods played three seasons in college for the Clemson Tigers. He put up 84 tackles (41 solo), five sacks, one pass defended, and two forced fumbles. 

"He's relentless in the way he competes," Saban added. "I really like the player. This year was a little disappointing for him from a production standpoint. I don't really know why. I talked to Dabo Swinney about him, and he loves the guy."

His 2024 season included 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. But his performance dipped as he managed just 3.5 TFL and 2.0 sacks in 2025.

Meanwhile, Woods is the Chiefs’ first Clemson draftee since receiver Cornell Powell in 2021, who joins the $6.2 billion Kansas City Chiefs, who missed the playoffs last season.

But after selecting cornerback Mansoor Delane at No.6 and Peter Woods at No.29, more than the playoffs, the Lombardi trophy will be the target for Andy Reid.

What Did This NFL Analyst Say About Peter Woods?

Going back to last season, Reid and the Chiefs struggled with their third-down defense and finished 29th out of the 32 NFL teams. NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah said the third-down defense is something that haunted Reid. 

Having garnered experience at multiple positions, Woods is confident in his ability to disrupt plays from any alignment along the line at the next level. With Chris Jones, the seven-time Pro Bowler, that unit starts to look a lot better. 

“He’s never going to see a double-team, so long as Chris Jones is out there on the field,” Jeremiah noted. “The quickness is what you’re buying here. He’s got tons of range. The pass rush, the ability to get up the field—that's what you’re buying.”

Will the Kansas City Chiefs be back ‌where they belong in the AFC Championship game with Woods and Jones? Drop in your comments.

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Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar