The Kansas City Chiefs defensive line enters the 2026 season with high hopes in the interior. After a season to forget in 2025, Kansas City began the offseason by signing defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga and, with the 29th pick in the draft, selected Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods. Those two players, coupled with the return of 2025 second-rounder Omarr Norman-Lott (torn ACL in Week 7 last season) and, oh yeah, Chris Jones, comprise a high-upside quartet in the Chiefs' interior.
Chiefs fans know what they have in Jones. They have a really good idea who Tonga is, too. And while fans can’t say yet how Norman-Lott will fare in his attempt to return to the field, the overall expectation for this defensive tackle group is good enough to hope that it can be a cornerstone of Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.
The thing that will bump this group up from "good" to "great" is the development of Peter Woods.
Woods is a curious topic in the discussion of ceiling and floor, and it’s because of one of those in particular that there is so much room for discussion. The good news for Chiefs fans is that it’s his ceiling.
The Ceiling for Peter Woods
Just 12 months ago, Woods was commonly discussed as a potential future top-10 pick, the No. 1 defensive tackle in the 2026 class, and a potential star. Clemson brought in a new defensive coordinator last season, so Woods’ role within the defense, terminology, and expectations all changed.
After a mediocre junior year at Clemson, Woods spoke with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. He was asked about his production in 2025 and how he could bounce back. One thing Woods noted was that in 2024, he played all over the defensive line, including defensive end and defensive tackle. Woods saw a minor dip in production in 2025, and he seemed to indicate that the combination of less flexibility, less support around him on the defensive line, and a ton of attention aimed in his direction all led to his decline last year.
This is where we make sure to point out that last year, Woods did not have anything remotely close to Chris Jones next to him on the defensive line, and pause for effect.
The 2024 hype around Woods didn’t come from nowhere. He is a force against the run and can also get after the quarterback. Woods has drawn comparisons to difference-makers like Jeffery Simmons and Christian Wilkins. The hope is that a system in which Woods lines up next to Jones and/or Tonga will force defenses to choose where they want to pay the greatest amount of attention and that the other players will capitalize.
As a rookie, Woods stands to benefit from playing next to Jones for obvious reasons: Jones is still one of the top three pass-rushing defensive tackles in the NFL. Whether Woods stays on the inside or Spagnuolo decides to give him some reps on the edge, either way, he is still an elite talent who could blossom into a bona fide star in the middle of the Chiefs' defense.
Woods' combination of raw strength and unique agility will make him a handful in the middle of the Chiefs' defense, especially if Jones or Tonga is getting double-teamed. If Woods plays at his ceiling and is getting routine snaps (especially on passing downs), 30-plus pressures and seven sacks could be within range.
The Floor for Peter Woods
As the pendulum swings for Woods, there is no disguising the fact that he declined in his final season at Clemson. That will likely mean he peaked in 2024 if he indeed continues on that trajectory. With Jones next to him (and middle linebacker Nick Bolton right behind him), Woods already has a leg up in terms of his pre-snap placement and adjustments. At worst, he’ll be so lost in Spagnuolo’s system that it affects his post-snap play. If that is the case, he’ll find himself losing snaps while firmly entrenched as DT4 behind Norman-Lott on the depth chart.
Even at his absolute floor in 2026, Woods won’t drop any further than that. A non-quarterback first-rounder is going to get on the field in any scenario, so there’s only so far for him to fall. The downside of a disappointing season from Woods is that it puts pressure on Jones and Tonga to play more snaps. So the Chiefs not only need Woods for his own production but also for the way he will benefit the starters.
If Woods, Tonga, and Jones play to their potential, they will make each other’s jobs exponentially easier (and, subsequently, the defensive line's and the rest of the defense's). One final benefit of adding an elite talent at defensive tackle at this point in Chris Jones’ career: Woods will be able to learn from a future Hall of Famer, and you can’t put a price on that. Woods will be able to draw from Jones’ tutelage long after Jones decides to hang 'em up.
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