The Bears Are Massive Favorites To Draft Peter Woods — Why Scouts Warn They’d Regret It
The Chicago Bears have three weeks left to prepare for the 2026 NFL draft. Most of the pro days have come and gone. General manager Ryan Poles, head coach Ben Johnson, the scouts, and the coaching staff are all putting in the final evaluation work. Outside of some top 30 visits and the local pro day, there isn’t much left to do except assemble the board. It is a big opportunity for the Bears. They have four picks in the top three rounds. That could help them land four starters. However, it all starts with the 25th overall pick. If you were to ask who most people believe the Bears would draft at that spot, the name that comes up the most is Peter Woods.
As many as nine prominent outlets have mocked the Clemson defensive tackle to Chicago in the past few weeks. They cite his mix of power and burst as the makings of that elusive interior disruptor the team has desperately needed since Akiem Hicks left years ago. On paper, it makes sense, particularly with Gervon Dexter in his final year and Grady Jarrett in his mid-30s. However, NFL scouts told Bob McGinn of Go Long that any team banking on Woods would end up losing money.
“He’s a better run defender right now than a pass rusher,” said a fourth scout. “He is steady and does a good job with his hands, but he isn’t a disruptive type. Doesn’t stand out in any specific area. He could start in the league for many years but never approach All-Pro.”
“You wouldn’t even know he was on the field unless you were looking for him,” a fifth scout said. “Gets bounced around at the point of attack and gives you absolutely nothing in pass rush. He was a big-time recruit and some people still try to hold onto that. He just doesn’t do anything. He’s just out there. I didn’t think he played particularly hard. Some of these guys, at least they play their ass off.”
Peter Woods comes across as a tease.
This isn’t a player who showed any kind of consistency throughout most of his college career. He only had five sacks in three seasons at Clemson. Walter Nolen, by contrast, had 6.5 in his final season alone for Ole Miss. Nothing in the production suggests Woods is capable of becoming that type of player. There have been flashes, sure. Unfortunately, that’s been the extent of it. This is before you address the other part of the issue. Clemson has produced several high picks in the past ten years. Most of them have been disappointments.
| Year | Player | Position | Round | Overall Pick | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Ruke Orhorhoro | DT | 2nd | 35 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2023 | Myles Murphy | DE | 1st | 28 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2023 | Bryan Bresee | DT | 1st | 29 | New Orleans Saints |
| 2019 | Clelin Ferrell | DE | 1st | 4 | Oakland Raiders |
| 2019 | Christian Wilkins | DT | 1st | 13 | Miami Dolphins |
| 2019 | Dexter Lawrence | DT | 1st | 17 | New York Giants |
| 2016 | Shaq Lawson | DE | 1st | 19 | Buffalo Bills |
| 2016 | Kevin Dodd | DE | 2nd | 33 | Tennessee Titans |
Of the players on that list, only Lawrence and Wilkins have emerged to become really good. Everybody else has been average-to-bad. That tells you the odds aren’t in Peter Woods’ favor to become a force multiplier in the middle of the Bears’ defense. People can talk about his potential for days. Unfortunately, potential doesn’t win championships. Good football players do. According to people who get paid to know the difference, Woods is not the guy you want to bet a 1st round pick on.
Woods’ stock seems to be cooling.
Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network is a former scout who has plenty of connections inside the league. If Woods had this much hype around him, you’d see it reflected in what he writes. In his latest top-50 draft prospects list, Jeremiah has Clemson defensive tackle ranked 37th. That means he sees Woods as a 2nd round prospect. A red flag if ever there was one. Jeremiah has said from the beginning that the people he talked to weren’t nearly as high on Woods as the media seemed to be.
Considering what the Bears prioritize in their players under this new regime, headlined by deep passion for football and high intelligence, it doesn’t sound like this is a route they would go down. Sure, Woods may end up becoming a good player anyway. It wouldn’t be the first time scouts were wrong. That said, the warning signs are too numerous. This is not a player you can consider a foundational piece. Those are what 1st round picks are supposed to be.