When drafting a quarterback on Day 3 of the NFL draft, teams typically don’t view that player as the “future of the organization,” or the “face of the franchise.”
The hit rate on quarterbacks in the later rounds of the draft has gone downhill dramatically over the past few years. Yes, there are exceptions like sixth-round pick Tom Brady and fourth-round picks Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson, but let’s keep it real…
Those examples are the rare exception rather than the standard.
Another example of a Day 3 pick who has drastically outplayed his draft position is Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers.
FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano polled NFL scouts on which of the eight quarterbacks selected on Day 3 of this year’s draft has the best chance of turning into a Purdy-type guy.
The signal-caller most likely to reach that level, according to evaluators Vacchiano spoke to, is Jets fourth-round pick and Clemson product Cade Klubnik, whose college tape is certainly intriguing.
“The tools are all there: the arm, the athletic ability, and he’s really smart,” a scout told Vacchiano. “His big flaw is that he can be pressured into bad decisions. That’s a worry for someone with as much experience as he had. … He was just starting to look like himself again when he got hurt last year. He started a little slow, but it was coming along. The injury changed everything. On the right team, he could be good. Just keep the pressure off him, and he’s got the skills to make things happen. But he has to be in a better situation than he’s in right now.”
After an electric 2024 season at Clemson, there was legitimate hype surrounding Klubnik. There was talk of him potentially going No. 1 overall in the 2026 draft.
However, after falling off in 2025, coinciding with the Tigers’ worst record (7-6) since 2010, Klubnik’s overall production declined significantly, and he battled injuries.
One thing Klubnik possesses that the other seven Day 3 QBs this year don’t is the established ceiling. In 2024, we saw the type of player he can be. The Jets’ goal, obviously, is to revert him to that level of play, but this time, in the pros.
Many of the other guys are sheer projections based on talent and traits. They didn’t necessarily put it all together in college. Now, that’s not to say Klubnik isn’t a projection.
Of course, he is. Every prospect is.
Cade Klubnik turning into Brock Purdy is the dream outcome for the New York Jets. Then again, seeing him develop into a long-term QB2 wouldn’t be such a terrible result, considering where he was drafted.
