The New York Jets are receiving some rose petals at their feet.
Justin Melo of NFL Draft on SI ranked the best sleepers from the 2026 NFL draft “after round 3 and why they could be stars.” For the Jets, he named former Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik.
“It was very impressive to hear Cade Klubnik speak at the podium during the New York Jets’ rookie minicamp. He spoke with poise and exuberated the type of leadership required to thrive at the quarterback position. Klubnik will have to showcase a similar comfort level on the field for it to matter, but it’s very interesting that the Jets met with essentially every mid-round quarterback in this draft and identified him as the potential steal,” Melo wrote.
A Narrative Shift
In the wise words of Michael Scott from “The Office,” how the turntables have turned.
When the Jets traded up for Klubnik in the fourth round, it was met with some immediate heat on social media from fans and some analysts.
NFL analyst Will Parkinson described the Jets’ decision to trade up as “annoying” during an appearance on “The Jake Asman Show.”
Some folks categorized the Jets’ selection of Klubnik in the fourth round as a reach. They traded multiple fourth-rounders to move up to select him.
However, now there is a narrative that Klubnik was, in fact, a steal. Go figure.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed that Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave were “smitten” with Klubnik during the pre-draft process.
“I know they put a lot of time into it,” Cimini explained on the “Jets Collective” podcast.
‘I know they put a lot of time into it.’
#JetUpFULL SHOW: t.co/YajrltB1md
Statistical Projections for Klubnik
ESPN’s Mike Clay projected the NFL rookie leaders in 10 stat categories. Klubnik is projected to throw the fourth-most passing yards of any rookie this season.
He projects that Klubnik will throw for 143 passing yards and one touchdown pass during his rookie season with no starts.
“This is an extremely low-impact QB class, at least in terms of projected Year 1 expectations,” Clay explained.
“[Carson] Beck (Round 3) and Klubnik (Round 4) have a shot to make a few starts if their respective teams struggle to remain in contention. Only six quarterbacks who weren’t drafted in the first two rounds have appeared in more than 10 games in Year 1 since 2012, with Dak Prescott (2016), Gardner Minshew II (2019), and Russell Wilson (2012) being the top producers,” Clay added.
Geno Smith is the unquestioned QB1 for the Jets. For now, the Jets have held off on adding a veteran quarterback to be QB2, but that could happen down the line.
In a perfect world, Smith will play the entire season for the Jets. However, if you’re a fan of the green and white, very rarely have seasons gone exactly according to plan.
In 9 of the last 11 seasons, the Jets have been forced to start at least two quarterbacks per year and as many as four in certain years. In other words, Klubnik might inevitably see the field based on recent history, somehow, someway.
No matter how this season goes, the Jets will likely want to get a look at Klubnik ahead of the 2027 season. If Smith stinks, the Jets will want to see what they have in Klubnik. If Smith is amazing, maybe they will be in a position to give Klubnik some reps during garbage time or late in the season if they have things wrapped up.
Jets Rookie QB Cade Klubnik Named One of the ‘Best’ Sleepers From Draft