Where will Cade Klubnik be drafted? What scouting reports say about 2026 NFL Draft chances

Where will Cade Klubnik be drafted? What scouting reports say about 2026 NFL Draft chances originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Cade Klubnik should hear his name called at the 2026 NFL Draft. Where, however, is yet to be determined.

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The former Clemson QB finished a rather streaky career, despite finishing with a total of 10,000 passing yards. He has flourished when he has time to think before passing, but that is a rarity in today’s NFL.

The 2024 season, his junior year, was when Klubnik showed his potential. The Austin, Texas, native finished third in the ACC in pass yards (3,639) and threw for 36 TDs. However, his senior year saw just 16 touchdown passes thrown, and he threw for under 3,000 yards. This has caused his draft stock to take a hit, but he could still be a viable backup QB for an NFL franchise willing to take a chance on him.

Here’s a look at where the former Clemson Tiger may be taken in this year’s NFL Draft.

NFL DRAFT RANKINGS 2026:QBs | WRs | TEs | EDGE | RBs

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Where will Cade Klubnik be drafted?

While the 2026 QB class incoming to the NFL is far from what it’s been in years prior, Klubnik has still had a tough time showing why he deserves a starting QB job in the NFL. His junior year at Clemson was solid, as he finished third in the ACC with 3,639 passing yards and led the Tigers to the College Football Playoff before falling to Texas in the first round.

Besides that, his collegiate career left more to be desired from a quarterback under Dabo Swinney. His field vision is lacking compared to other QBs in this class, and he is very streaky. Under pressure, he falters and can hold his team back in the long run. According to ESPN, he completed only 48.5% of his passes under true pressure.

When he is given extra time to throw the ball, Klubnik can excel. However, in the NFL, that is far from a given. The league’s best QBs are known for their precise and quick decision-making, two things Klubnik has shown to lack when it truly matters. Klubnik will most likely be a mid-late round selection as a team’s backup QB.

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Here are some of the more prominent scouting reports on Klubnik’s NFL prospects.

Much was expected of Klubnik after a strong showing in 2024, but his play and production declined in 2025. He’s undersized but athletic and shows an ability to attack zone windows with adequate velocity over the first two levels. He can make some timing throws with anticipation when in rhythm. However, when the first read isn’t there, his field vision is average and he’s not good enough off-platform/out of structure to succeed at a high enough rate. The accuracy numbers to most areas of the field fall below the mark, but tape study shows a high drop count by his receivers. 

– Lance Zierlin, NFL.com

Klubnik has stretches of hot and cold play throughout games, similar to a streaky 3-point shooter. His clean throwing release allowed him to distribute the ball evenly to all his targets in the underneath areas the Tigers operated in. Klubnik is also a threat as a runner when forced to break the pocket. His mechanics tend to wane when facing pressure, and his accuracy becomes scattershot. Klubnik completed only 48.5% of his passes when facing true pressure. There were mixed opinions of Klubnik entering the season, but thoughts of him being a middle-to-late round passer have become more of a consensus.

– Jordan Reid, ESPN

Klubnik is best when throwing off play action or RPO concepts. These plays allow him to read the field with a little extra time and identify false steps by second-level defenders to attack the voids within the coverage. Feeling pressure inside the pocket for Clemson’s third-year starter comes and goes. Sometimes he feels and evades, other times, he’s locked into a read and takes unnecessary sacks. He struggles with post-snap reads. Too often, Klubnik believes what the defense is showing pre-snap, and the transition post-snap after the picture changes creates delayed reads and confusion for the QB.

– Damian Parson, Bleacher Report

Here’s where he’s projected to land in several Day 2 mock drafts.

• NFL.com: Round 6, Pick 192 to the Giants

• ESPN: Round 6, Pick 195 to the Buccaneers

MORE 2026 NFL DRAFT:

Cade Klubnik college stats

Through four seasons at Clemson, Klubnik is a member of the 10,000-yard club. He has thrown for over 70 TDs and averaged over 200 yards per game across 49 total games. His best finish with the Tigers came in 2023, when Clemson lost to Texas 38-24.

Here’s a look at the numbers behind his four-year collegiate career with the Tigers: