It’s rare to hear positive words coming out of Skip Bayless’ mouth, unless the words in question are directed at Michael Jeffrey Jordan.

In this once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence, though, the loudmouthed sports commentator has come out with praise for one of the New York Jets’ most unheralded rookies of the 2026 draft.

“I see a little Bo Nix in him,” Bayless said of Jets fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik. “They’re cut from the same cloth to me, just a little bit…they’re both 6-foot-2. Bo’s a little stouter, like a little thicker maybe…But listen, Cade Klubnik throws it pretty well. I mean, I would say his arm is above average. I’m not going to say it’s Justin Herbert, but it always looked pretty good to me.”

The Jets selected Klubnik with the 110th overall pick in the fourth round of this year’s draft. New York moved up to acquire the Clemson quarterback, sending away two fourth-round picks to the Cincinnati Bengals (Nos. 128 and 140 overall), while Cincinnati also sent back a sixth-round pick (No. 199 overall).

Klubnik broke out for the Tigers in his 2024 junior season, prompting some analysts to peg him as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft. Some mock drafts had him going to the Jets with that selection.

But after a nightmare 2025 season for both Klubnik and the Tigers, the Austin, Texas native fell to the fourth round, where New York scooped him up as their new developmental signal-caller.

Geno Smith has already been tabbed as the Jets’ Week 1 starting quarterback, but as things currently stand, Klubnik has a chance to earn the backup job. His current competitors are 2025 UDFA Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe, both of whom have more interceptions than touchdown passes in the NFL.

The Jets have explored veteran backup options, including making a recent contract offer to Russell Wilson, but no signing is imminent at the moment. Until New York adds a definitive veteran backup, Klubnik has a chance to push for the Jets’ QB2 job and position himself for rookie-year playing time.

Ideally, though, the Jets would likely prefer to add a veteran backup who can allow Klubnik to redshirt his rookie season. If Klubnik were prepared to play NFL football in 2026, he wouldn’t have been picked in the fourth round.

For once, though, Jets fans hope that Skip Bayless is right about them.