The Kansas City Chiefs spent their first two picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on defensive players with their second pick, Peter Woods, coming at No. 29. Woods, a defensive tackle out of Clemson, is someone that the Chiefs hope can immediately revitalize their defense after an up-and-down year.
The good news is that, according to Nate Taylor of ESPN, it appears the Chiefs drafted a guy who can do just that. Taylor wrote about the first impressions of Woods through the offseason so far and shared a quote from Steve Spagnuolo that will have Chiefs Kingdom psyched about what Woods can potentially provide for his new team.
"Several veterans were quick to notice Woods' athleticism and explosiveness in the offseason program, whether on the practice fields or in the weight room. Even though Woods is not a projected starter, he should offer plenty of rotational contributions as an additional interior pass rusher next to Chris Jones. "I've been really, really impressed with Pete," defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. "Not only [with] what he does on the field but the way he carries himself in the [classroom]."
Chiefs may have found key weapon in rookie Peter Woods
Obviously we don't have much to go on this time of year so any quotes like these are going to be like catnip for the fan base. It's good to hear that Woods is soaking everything up and looking like he can be a really game-changer for this defense.
It's not news to fans that Woods isn't projected to be a starter either but the hope is that he can become a nice rotational piece and work his way into that role eventually. The Clemson star wasn't necessarily a sack machine in college, tallying just three sacks during his 2025 season with the Tigers but there's plenty of other skills he can provide the defense with that fans will hopefully see play out in 2026 and beyond.
Defense was once the big strength for the Chiefs, especially in 2023 as it paved the way to the team's third Super Bowl win in five years but things fell off a bit this past season. The hope is that players like Woods can help the unit get back to that level and, if so, making it back to the Super Bowl is absolutely on the table for this team.
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