Big Blue View
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?
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.
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...
