Four years ago, Pittsburgh’s mainstream football fans were introduced to the minutiae of body-part size and how it relates to the NFL Draft by way of the discussion of Kenny Pickett’s hands.
The measurement causing discussion ahead of the 2026 draft is the arm length for Peter Woods.
Woods, a second-team AP All-American defensive tackle from Clemson in 2025, has 31 1/4-inch arms. For perspective, of the other 31 defensive linemen who attended the NFL combine only three had shorter arms.
One of the defensive tackles competing with Woods to be the first off the board from the position — Florida’s Caleb Banks — has 35-inch arms. That means, for example, Banks offers NFL teams an extra 9 1/2-plus inches of wingspan.
Does that matter? Depends on who you ask. For his part, Banks said that among the teams he met with at the combine, none brought up his arm length.
“Besides, like, jokingly,” the 6-foot-2, 298-pound Woods said. “I mean, it’s easy to say ‘His arms are short,’ but what’s on tape is on tape. I think one of the best things that I do is getting control of a man who assumingly has longer arms than me and striking him and discarding him. So, I don’t really see that as a problem.”
Neither do draft analysts, who rate Woods alongside Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald as the top defensive tackles available to be taken in the Pittsburgh-based draft later this week.
Woods is expected to be taken before the first round ends late Thursday night after starting all 12 regular-season games as a junior in 2025 for Clemson.
“The talent of Peter Woods is through the roof,” ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said during a conference call with media. “He’s quick. He’s athletic. He’s strong. He’s versatile. He had a really good year in 2024. He didn’t build on that. Things just didn’t come together for Clemson.”
The consensus headed into this past season was that Woods was on track to go in the upper half of the first round. But Woods’ tackles for loss (8 1/2 to 3 1/2) and sack (3 to 2) totals decreased as Clemson went from preseason top-five to a 7-6 finish.
It was those things, moreso than the length of Woods’ arms, that led to the slight drop in his stock.
“At the end of the day, Peter Woods, you roll the dice that the defensive line coach can get the most out of him,” Kiper said. “Arm length? People talk about arm length for defensive tackles as an issue. (But) it’s the edge guys. Same thing with centers and guards. (But it’s) not an issue here at defensive tackle.
“Yes, he doesn’t have long arms, but he won’t need that to be successful. He’s fine.”
There was no formal contact reported during the pre-draft process between Woods and the Steelers, who are known to have interest in adding a defensive tackle in the early rounds. But Woods does have at least one connection to the Steelers in his college position coach.
Nick Eason has a Super Bowl ring (XLIII) from his four seasons spent mostly as a reserve defensive lineman for the Steelers (2007-2010).
“Coach Eason, one thing I say about him is, who better to play for?’ ” Woods said. “A guy who’s played and coached at every level of football, developing guys and putting them in the league, coaching them in the league. He pushed me past measures that I didn’t even know that I could reach, from a standpoint of even just getting my body right … and motivating me and just being that inspiration when I need him the most. Even off the field, he’s been a great man in my life.”
Whether it was Eason’s influence or not, Woods appears to have appropriate perspective. One of the nation’s most heavily recruited incoming college players just four years ago, Woods was an instant success as a freshman All-American in 2023.
But he does not sound as if he’s approaching entering the pros will come as easy.
“It would be naive for me to think that I will come into a league that I’ve never been a part of before and know it all and have all the answers,” Woods said. “So I’m just eager to learn, eager to learn, eager to get better and take my game to the next level.”
Top 5 defensive tackles
1. Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
Junior, 6-2, 326
After two years as a backup burst out as a first-team AP All American last season.
2. Peter Woods, Clemson
Junior, 6-2 ½, 298
Was freshman All-America in 2023 and second-team AP All-America in 2025.
3. Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
Redshirt senior, 6-3 ½, 318
After redshirting at Auburn and playing 3 seasons at UCF became third-team All-America in ’25.
4. Caleb Banks, Florida
Redshirt senior, 6-6, 327
Missed all but 3 games last year with foot injury; spent 1st two college seasons at Louisville.
5. Christen Miller, Georgia
Redshirt junior, 6-4, 321
Viewed as more consistent than flashy (4 career college sacks), Miller was a 2-year starter.