As the Chicago Bears enter the 2026 NFL Draft, they'll be looking to add some explosive pieces on the defensive side of the ball. While they won't pick until No. 25, barring a trade, there will still be plenty of premium players on the board.
Among them is Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods. With the Bears still needing him in the trenches, Chicago landed Woods with their first-round pick in Jordan Reid of ESPN's latest mock draft.
“The Bears badly need a disruptive defensive tackle, so let's give them my top-ranked player at the position,” Reid wrote. “Despite not having the 2025 season that many envisioned (30 tackles and two sacks), Woods still showed plenty of Round 1 flashes. He's a bouncy athlete at 6-foot-3, 298 pounds who fits best as a 3-technique. His ability to create quick wins from the inside as an explosive penetrator is something that is sorely lacking in Chicago.”
As it stands, Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter are set to occupy the middle of Chicago's defensive line. Jarrett has spent over a decade in the league while Dexter just set a new career-high with six sacks. Still, the Bears ranked 27th against the run in 2025, allowing 134.5 yards per game. They need someone to be a disruptive force up the middle on defense.
If selected, they'd hope Woods can be exactly that. He spent three years at Clemson, putting up 84 tackles, 14.5 for a loss and five sacks over 25 games. Woods was named First-Team All-ACC in 2025 after recording 30 tackles, 2.5 for a loss and two sacks. While those numbers don't jump off the page, his recognition shows how much of a difference maker he is on the field.
With head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams, Chicago has a potent offense on the rise. Now, they want to match it with defensive prowess. Taking Woods in the first-round gives the Bears a defensive tackle they can build around.
