First-round draft prospect draws closer to Ravens amid NFL Combine buzz

For the Baltimore Ravens, there’s nothing like the NFL Draft. It’s where their money is made, and success is found. Their rich history of winning has mostly been thanks to their impressive scouting and drafting process.

Now, the NFL Scouting Combine is upon us. Teams are getting to know the prospects they could be targeting in April’s draft, and for the players, they get to put on a show and hopefully raise their stock with just a couple of months left before their NFL dreams become a reality.

For Baltimore, it wouldn't be a surprise if they went the defensive route early after hiring defensive-minded head coach Jesse Minter. Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods is one player that the Ravens have met with early in combine week. During his time at the podium on Wednesday, Woods talked about his experience with Baltimore and how he feels about the organization.

“Yeah, I love the Ravens,” Woods said. “I actually met with them [on Tuesday] and got a chance to sit down with Coach [Lou Esposito] and Coach [Jesse] Minter, and it meant a lot to me…Just very critical, learning to get better, learning ball. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to meet with them, and it meant a lot to me.”

Woods also highlighted his connection with Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins, a fellow Clemson standout.

“Me and Nate [Wiggins] talk pretty often. He loves the culture up there, and he loves the way that he gets coached hard every day, and that’s something that I’m used to coming from Clemson,” he added.

With Minter at the helm, Baltimore is expected find its footing on the defensive side. Woods would boost the chances of that happening.

Peter Woods' connection with Ravens gains more steam at NFL Combine

Up to this point, the only rumors we’ve gotten for the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, at least for the Ravens, have been fallout from the countless mock drafts. Woods has been matched with Baltimore in many of those mocks in recent months, and by the sound of it, there could be a serious possibility that pairing comes to fruition.

There’s a lot of reason to believe that Woods could be the Ravens' pick at 14th overall, outside of just the interview, too. Baltimore needs help on the defensive line. They only had 30 sacks in 2025 and lost the battle up front more often than not. The defense needs to be rejuvenated, and it starts on that line.

Both general manager Eric DeCosta and Minter emphasized the importance of building the trenches during their combine media sessions on Tuesday. Woods would certainly be a game-changing body to add to the interior of their struggling defensive line. His numbers may not be there, but his impact undoubtedly is.

Woods totaled just five sacks across 35 career games at Clemson. 2024 was a bit of a breakout year, where he had three sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. Unfortunately, 2025 wasn’t what many were anticipating, as he finished with lackluster numbers on the stat sheet with two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. Where his presence was felt, though, was his ability to eat blocks.

Woods talked about the transition from his sophomore to his junior year on Wednesday, noting an increase in attention from opposing offensive lines, which, in turn, let his teammates eat.

That experience taking on double and triple-teams should pay off. The Ravens need another piece on the interior that can eat blocks and free up opportunities for edge rushers like Mike Green. Woods can win as a pass rusher, as well, with explosiveness and a strong base to slowly collapse the pocket and make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable.

That aforementioned relationship with Nate Wiggins should make Baltimore even more comfortable with diving into the Clemson pipeline and entertaining the possibility of picking Woods.

Rumors surrounding potential first-round targets will continue to build as the months go by. At this point, Woods has been and will continue to be one of the top-connected targets for the Ravens.