Should the Giants target another Clemson lineman?
Defensive tackle was a pressing need for the New York Giants prior to the 2025 NFL Draft.
But even though the Giants spent the 65th overall pick on defensive lineman Darius Alexander, the position could be a need for them again in 2026. They’re hoping that several young players will take a step forward this year, but the potential is there for depth to continue to be an issue on the defensive line.
The good news is that the 2026 NFL Draft could once again feature a deep and talented class of defensive linemen.
Clemson’s Peter Woods might not be the best defensive tackle in next year’s class, but he might have the highest ceiling of the pure defensive linemen. Drafting defensive tackles out of Clemson has worked out well for teams over the years, so could the Giants add another Tiger to their roster?
What he does well
Woods is a big (6-foot-3, 315-pound) defensive linemen with exceptional athletic traits. He has almost absurd quickness, agility, and speed for a player his size, and Clemson takes full advantage of those traits. He played all over their defensive front, lining up everywhere from a 0-technique true nose tackle to edge rusher in a 2-point stance.
Woods typically keys the snap well and features an excellent get-off. He has little wasted energy in his first step and accelerates hard off the line of scrimmage. He flashes the ability to get low and play with great pad level, both gaining leverage as an inside rusher and bending around the edge. He has excellent speed in the open field, which can allow him to be disruptive in the backfield as well as impressive in pursuit.
He also has very good play strength and is a handful for blockers in one-on-one situations. Woods is able to drive blockers back with his bull rushes, as well as distort the line of scrimmage when defending the run. He also flashes the ability to hold up against double teams when he’s playing with good leverage and pad level.
Finally, Woods is an absolutely relentless defender. He plays with full effort whenever he’s on the field and has a white-hot motor in pursuit. It isn’t uncommon to see him fighting through three blockers on a given play or running with the linebackers in pursuit. His size usually means that he needs to be rotated off the field after a particularly intense snap, but he usually isn’t on the sidelines for long.
What he needs to improve
The biggest thing Woods needs to improve this year is his consistency of technique. He flashes the ability to be all but unblockable at times, but can also be a non-factor if his technique slips.
Most notably, Woods needs to play with consistent pad level regardless of his alignment. There are a few too many instances of him bouncing off linemen or getting uprooted because his pad level rose. He’ll also need to work on his hand usage and becoming a more focused technician. While Woods was around the ball carrier a lot on tape, he had a bunch of near-misses. Improving his hand usage should allow him to finish his rushes more efficiently and turn those near misses into sacks.
He appears to have somewhat short arms, and his official measurements will be interesting. Improving his hand usage will also help mitigate any issues caused by limited arm length.
Woods also needs to work on his awareness. He has a slight hesitation when rushing and the ball goes to a check-down, swing pass, or screen play. It seems as though Woods needs to double check where the ball has gone before he retraces and gets into pursuit. He has exceptional speed in the open field for a defensive tackle, but the delay often makes his pursuit ineffective.
Final thoughts
Woods is going to be an exceptionally fun prospect to watch this year.
He has, frankly, absurd athletic traits and versatility for a player of his size. It’s almost surreal to see him going from playing nose tackle to a stand-up edge rusher at 6-foot-3, 315 pounds. It might behoove Clemson to allow Woods to concentrate on being a one-gap penetrator and developing his skillset there, but they’ll almost certainly move him around the formation at times to create exotic looks and matchups.
While his production wasn’t great in 2025, it’s obvious from even a cursory glance at his tape that he’s just scratching the surface of his potential. If Woods is able to continue to develop and hone his craft as a lineman, he has the upside to become a game-wrecker at the next level.
