The Chiefs may have found a short-yardage weapon with first-round defensive pick
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The Chiefs drafted Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods with the 29th overall pick.
- Woods rushed eight times for 15 yards and two touchdowns last season.
- Woods rushed for a first down on all three of his fourth-down attempts last season.
The Chiefs found success early last season in short-yardage situations thanks to running back Kareem Hunt, but the issue popped up down the stretch. Notably, a failed fourth-and-1 on a pass against the Texans swung the game in Houston’s favor.
Hunt is no longer with the Chiefs, who now hope that free-agent running back Kenneth Walker III can be used when the team only needs 1 or 2 yards for a first down.
But the Chiefs, who haven’t run a quarterback sneak since Patrick Mahomes dislocated his kneecap against Denver in 2019, might have picked up a short-yardage specialist Thursday night in the first round of the NFL Draft.
With the 29th overall pick, the Chiefs drafted defensive lineman Peter Woods of Clemson. The 6-foot-2 1/2 junior weighs 298 pounds, and was a pain for opposing defenses. But he proved to be an effective rusher for the Tigers.
Woods’ stats of note last season with Clemson: 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, eight carries, 15 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was asked about Woods’ 2-yard touchdown run in the Tigers’ 41-10 win last season over Boston College.
“Maybe the best tailback we got is Peter Woods,” Swinney said, per Yahoo Sports. “Good things happen when we give him the ball, so that was fun.”
At one point last season, Woods rushed for a first down in all three of his fourth-down attempts, The State noted.
“I’ve got a job, obviously, on offense and I just wanna be the best at my job,” Woods told The State last year. “That’s what was going through my mind. Ball security, stuff that you don’t really work on as a defensive lineman. … But it felt good to get into the end zone.”
Here are some running-back highlights of new Chiefs defensive lineman Peter Woods.
This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 11:29 AM with the headline "The Chiefs may have found a short-yardage weapon with first-round defensive pick."
