Most Polarizing Prospect in 2026 NFL Draft Revealed by Field Yates, What Scouts Reportedly Say

Coming off a disappointing junior season at Clemson, Peter Woods' stock going into the 2026 NFL draft is all over the place.

ESPN's Field Yates has dubbed Woods as the most polarizing prospect in this year's class, with scouts not sold on his college production, "a lack of ideal size and uncertainty" about the best scheme fit for him.

Yates did note there are some scouts who believe Woods will end up being a first-round pick, but there's not a strong consensus around that six days away from the start of the draft.

B/R's NFL scouting department is very high on Woods. He is ranked as the No. 11 overall prospect on the top-250 big board, with Tennessee Titans star Jeffery Simmons cited as his pro comparison.

Despite that overall enthusiasm for Woods, B/R's three-round mock has him projected to stay on the board until the second round when the Cincinnati Bengals take him at No. 41.

Woods entered the 2025 season as arguably the best player in this class. He recorded 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 11 games during his sophomore year in 2024.

Last season saw Woods finish with just 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 12 games. His pre-draft workout schedule left something to be desired. He didn't workout at the scouting combine and was only able to run a 10-yard split at Clemson's pro day due to a minor hamstring injury.

Woods' athletic score based on what he was able to do was fine, but not spectacular.

If there's a team that believes in his talent and thinks there is a Simmons-level upside to him, Woods could easily end up being a first-round pick because there aren't a lot of high level interior defensive linemen in this year's class.