It’s only been a couple of days since prospects arrived at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, but the New York Jets have met with almost all of the top prospects coming out to April’s draft.
Top defensive players like Ohio State’s Arvell Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey confirmed meetings with Gang Green over the last several days. They were each complimentary of the Jets’ process with them.
New York isn’t simply focused on targets for the second overall pick, though. With a second first-round pick at No. 16 overall, they have plenty of due diligence to account for.
One of their recent discussions centered around a defensive prospect who was once considered a bona fide top pick.
Jets meet with top lineman
Before the 2025 college football season, Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods was considered a lock for one of the top overall picks in the 2026 draft. Like many players on the Tigers, though, Woods’ performance was less than stellar.
After posting three sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss in his 2024 sophomore season (11 games), Woods dropped to two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss as a junior in 2025 (12 games).
While Woods is still projected to go in the first round, his stock has fallen a bit around the league.
New York doesn’t appear deterred, though. Woods confirmed to Jets X-Factor on Wednesday that he met with the Jets in person, one of his 18 total interviews over the last several days.
“It was a great meeting,” Woods said. “We were talking about ball and installing defenses. It was a great experience just to be able to talk to them and get their feedback.”
Woods detailed that his conversations with the Jets went beyond proving what he could do on the field. He also made it clear he wanted advice on where he could improve his play.
“I always ask, ‘Where can I get better?’ moving from college to the NFL to better my game,” Woods said. “They (the Jets) had great things to say about that.
“I’m just appreciative of that organization.”
Comparisons to top players like former Jets All-Pro Quinnen Williams pleased the soon-to-be 21-year-old. Woods has closely followed the careers of some of the top defensive tackles in the sport.
And it sounds like he would be thrilled to join a team like the Jets in 2026.
Peter Woods draft profile
Clemson has a rich history of quality defensive tackles in the modern NFL. Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins were former first-round picks of the Tigers who went on to have All-Pro and Pro-Bowl-type careers, respectively.
Woods has the talent to join them, but his profile is not without concerns, including his short arms. Most NFL scouts believe that short arms can be a precursor to defensive tackles being unable to shake blocks at the professional level.
While Woods’ arm length has been a talking point among many scouts at the combine so far, Clemson’s first-team All-ACC defensive tackle hasn’t heard those same concerns from teams that he has met with. His 18 interviews with NFL teams show strong interest across league circles despite some of the physical limitations he faces.
It doesn’t appear as if Woods’ arms will hurt his draft stock too much, either. In Mel Kiper Jr.’s most recent mock before the combine, he predicted the Jets would select Woods with the 16th overall pick.
New York certainly needs interior defensive linemen. Woods would fit a sore need along the roster.
But as he prepares for his workout in Indianapolis, it is apparent that Gang Green won’t be the only team interested in Woods’ work. They’ll have to get in line.
