Back in 2023, as upperclassmen or transfers moved on, the younger guys at Clemson were excited to get the numbers of their choice. Peter Woods was one of them. He was No. 11. He played three years wearing that exact number, so if someone ever asked him, ‘What’s in a number?’ only he would know what No. 11 truly meant. But alas! He will have to shed that old skin to be able to grow in professional football.

The NFL comes with a different set of rules than college football. That includes jersey numbers. So, from now on, Woods will wear the No. 99 for the Kansas City Chiefs. How does he feel about the change?

“Yeah, they didn’t have a lot of choices,” Woods said, as per AtoZ Sports. “It was what I picked from the choices that I had. But I’ve always loved the number 99. I know, like D-Lineman in the NFL kind of got a different type of select number of choices. So I knew 11 wasn’t going to be an option. So 99 was the best next thing for me.”

As Woods highlighted, the NFL rule applied in this situation only allows defensive linemen to use 50–79 and 90–99. Hence, the 29th overall pick was forced to change his jersey number. But here’s the thing: the Chiefs had submitted a rule change proposal to the Competition Committee, and it was approved by owners on April 21, 2021. The proposal was the aftermath of the expanding practice squads in 2020. Some teams didn’t have enough numbers at certain positions. In fact, on March 28, 2023, a proposal from the Philadelphia Eagles got the green light from league owners, opening the door for more flexibility in jersey numbering. That included allowing players to wear No. 0.

That said, some restrictions still exist, and no wonder Woods had to settle for No. 99. And just like him, other rookies are making changes. Sixth overall pick, Mansoor Delane, had to take No. 5 instead of No. 4 with wide receiver Rashee Rice, who wears that number and won’t be surrendering it.

“Really wasn’t too many options,” Delane said about it. “But really, I just like this number, you know, and then I just feel like it was something new.”

That option could, however, open up down the road. If Rice walks away in free agency after the 2026 season, Delane would have a shot at taking over the number. That sort of occurrence wouldn’t be anything new. Think about when Trent McDuffie swapped from No. 21 to No. 22 once Juan Thornhill moved on in free agency.

Similarly, R Mason Thomas changed from no. 32 to 34, as it was closest to his college number. Rookies Emmett Johnson (10) and Jadon Canady (22) secured the numbers of their choice.

Coming back to Woods, the young defensive tackle appears to be happy with his number, and Chiefs fans will hope that the 29th overall pick could improve on the performance of the former No. 99, Jerry Tillery, who finished with a 49.0 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season. And Woods has the potential to be a starter this season, according to an ESPN expert.

NFL analyst believes Woods and other Chiefs’ defensive rookies will start

With the Kansas City Chiefs entering the 2026 season after missing the playoffs last year, the franchise used the draft to bring some quality defensive players to further bolster a department that has been a strength over the years. Hence, based on their projects, ESPN’s Louis Riddick expressed that six out of the seven rookies will eventually start for the Chiefs this season.

“All seven of their draft picks are going to make their football team, all seven of them, minus Garrett Nussmeier, are probably going to play,” Riddick said on NFL Live.

With the franchise bringing in some quality players for the offense, like Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, and re-signing Travis Kelce, the likes of Cyrus Allen and Emmett Johnson could be utilized in a rotational capacity.

But on the defensive side of the ball, secondary defenders like Mansoor Delane and Jadon Canady are expected to start with the Chiefs losing All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie and his backfield partner, Jaylen Watson, to the Los Angeles Rams, while fellow corner Joshua Williams and safety Bryan Cook joined the Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals in free agency.

Similarly, the defensive line, which was tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in the league, could make way for Peter Woods and R Mason Thomas as starters. Woods made first-team All-ACC while finishing with 30 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, and two sacks, while Thomas recorded 26 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in the 2025 season.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ 2026 rookie class looks set to make an immediate impact, with most of the seven draft picks expected to start or play significant roles this season. While jersey number negotiations provided an early taste of NFL life for players like Woods, the focus now shifts to the field, where Woods and his fellow rookies will look to strengthen a Chiefs defense in need of fresh talent.