The Kansas City Chiefs traded up from No. 9 to No. 6 to secure LSU Tigers cornerback Mansoor Delane, with the Cleveland Browns. But the Chiefs retained their No. 29 pick, where they secured Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Peter Woods. The Athletic's Dane Brugler, however, is not fully sold on Woods.

He appeared on the April 27th episode of the Up & Adams Show. To Brugler, Woods is still developing.

“Peter Woods has all the talent in the world, I just want to see it more,” the analyst said. “Why are you still a caterpillar and not yet a butterfly? That's my question. He actually had more rushing yards last year than he did pressures, that not exactly ideal for a defensive tackle.”

Brugler's take comes from Woods finishing 15 rushing yards and two touchdowns on eight rushing attempts. But he generated only 14 quarterback pressures and 2.0 sacks.

“You do see the talent, and when you grade to the flashes, I understand why he was a first-round pick," Brugler further added. "Now it’s up to those coaches to get the most out of him."

To the analyst, Woods possesses the talent that is hard to ignore. At Clemson’s Pro Day, Woods recorded a 1.67-second 10-yard split, 4.54-second short shuttle, and a 7.70-second three-cone drill, as reported by Perry Miller Carpenter of Heavy.com.

For a 6-foot-2, 298-pound lineman, his burst off the snap is exceptionally quick, and he comes with impressive physical strength.

Despite such a critical assessment of him, the Chiefs' expectations are rising for Woods.

Kansas City Chiefs See Shades of Greatness in Peter Woods

The Chiefs' coach, Andy Reid, during the post-draft conference of Day 1, compared Woods to veteran Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

Reid compared Woods' explosive quickness and body control to that of Donald. Even though their size and experience are different, they share similar traits as an interior disruptor who utilizes speed.

“He gives you that quickness,” Reid said. “You can say Aaron Donald-y type quick. Well, he’s not Aaron Donald yet. That’s a good challenge for him."

Woods is also often closely linked to the 3x Super Bowl Champion defensive tackle Chris Jones, as Woods is seen as the future successor to Jones.

“With Chris Jones turning 32 this offseason, the Chiefs nab his successor in Peter Woods," said Mike Renner of CBS Sports. "He’s a quintessential 3-technique with an incredible blend of explosiveness and play strength." 

Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III even dubbed Woods a “Chris Jones protégé,” pointing to their shared explosiveness.

Even though the Chiefs are hoping Woods to help them bounce back after a 6-11 finish in 2025, as per Brugler, he still has a lot of refinement to do.

What are your thoughts on the Kansas City Chiefs picking Woods? Drop in the comments.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar