Canal Street Chronicles
The New Orleans Saints already know where they will be drafting in 2026, but for the playoff teams, some of the first spots were solidified after last night’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans.
Here is the new first-round draft order.
Looking again at some other options at pick #8 for the Saints, DT Peter Woods is one that jumps out. Yes, going with a defensive tackle this early is scary, and one from Clemson. Although the Saints didn’t strike out with Bryan Bresee, it hasn’t been a smooth journey to this point. Being stung by that is something the NFL really takes into consideration, but Woods is different.
Clemson as a whole had a very down year, but Woods stayed dominant. When he wasn’t being double-teamed, Woods was excellent against the run, and that is going to be the main reason why teams love him. His pass rush needs to get better, but for DT, a floor is set if the run defense is there. That was one of the issues with Bresee because he is the opposite, so the floor is lower. In Woods’ case, he is very good at taking up space, demanding attention, and opening up opportunities for other defensive linemen. It’s not an exciting pick, but it will 100% improve the defense.
