Jason Burgos
The New York Jets selected a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, it wasn’t a player that will compete with Geno Smith for the starting job this summer.
Day 1 of this year’s draft was very good for the Jets. With the 2nd overall pick, they went with a safe choice by taking talented Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey. Then at No. 16, they landed a potential game-breaker at the tight end spot in Oregon’s Kenyon Sadig. They then surprised many by trading back into Round 1 to select Indiana star receiver Omar Cooper Jr.
On Day 2 of the event, they received a lot of praise when they used their only pick on Friday to get another star from the national champs, this time, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. Heading into Day 3, there was one thing many Jets fans were still hoping for, and that was selecting a young QB.
Well, they got one in Round 4, but he isn’t going to excite Gang Green fans after his showing in 2025. With their second pick on Saturday, the franchise selected Illinois signal caller Cade Klubnik.
Cade Klubnik’s regression from a Heisman contender in 2025
In 2024, had a breakout season in his second year starting for the Fighting Illini. He threw for a career high 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns to six interceptions. He also connected on 63.4 percent of his passes. It’s why he was an early Heisman Trophy contender heading into 2025, and Illinois was seen as a team that could make serious noise in the Big Ten.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned this season as he regressed. Klubnik had only 2,943 yards and 16 TDs in two fewer games. While his completion percentage was up (65.6), his passer rating took a near 10-point drop from the previous year. Illinois also went from 10-3 in 2024 to 9-4 this past season.
Klubnik can make a lot of the throws he will need to in the pros. However, he is a little undersized (6-foot-2, 207 pounds), and his field vision was average. He could also use work on his mechanics. Nevertheless, he does have very good scrambling ability and ran for 463 yards and seven touchdowns two years ago.
Klubnik is a project and is not going to give Smith any serious competition for the QB1 job in training camp after a college career where he never lived up to his potential as an elite recruit.
