Clemson’s Cade Klubnik was the fifth quarterback taken off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft, when the New York Jets selected him on Saturday in the fourth round with the 110th pick overall pick.

The Jets traded up to get him, dealing away two fourth-round picks (Nos. 128 and 140) to the Cincinnati Bengals in order to move up 18 spots and grab Klubnik.

Klubnik joined Steve Fuller (1979), Charlie Whitehurst (2006), Tajh Boyd (2013), Deshaun Watson (2017) and Trevor Lawrence (2021) as the sixth Clemson quarterback drafted in the Common Draft era, and Klubnik became the fourth Tiger quarterback drafted in the Dabo Swinney era. He marked the eighth Clemson player selected by the Jets in the NFL Draft all-time.

During ESPN’s coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft, analysts Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller, Field Yates and Louis Riddick gave their thoughts on the Jets’ selection of Klubnik. Here’s what they had to say:

Riddick: “Over 70 touchdown passes… a three-year starter, and then he played some in his freshman season. You see all the attributes. You see the movement in the pocket, you see the ball-handling, you see the ability to throw off platform, extend plays. He can throw the ball short, intermediate, deep. It’s just at those crucial moments, that the coaching staff and this football team overall, were just not able to get over the hump, and there would always be a miscommunication, an untimely turnover, an untimely missed read, to where they just weren’t able to get out of him what they thought they were going to get out of him when he took over a few years ago. See here right now with the Jets, you just wonder, like, what is their plan? What is going to be their plan for him, especially considering here in 2027, they’re probably going to attempt to get a quarterback again.”

Miller: “Three first-round picks next year, so we expect them to be in a deeper quarterback class next year. But I’m fascinated with Klubnik and all the Clemson guys – Peter Woods, T.J. Parker, Antonio Williams – a year ago, we thought all these guys are gonna be first-round picks. Woods still was. Can someone unlock what Klubnik was in 2024 when he had 36 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and darn near took this team to a win over Texas in the CFP – can you get that version of Klubnik?”

Kiper: “His No. 1 go-to guy, Antonio Williams, was banged up. He had the hamstring early on. Antonio Williams, down the stretch, was red-hot. Klubnik was getting him the football. He [comes from the same high school] as Drew Brees and Nick Foles, right. Two Super-Bowl winning quarterbacks. Maybe they catch lightning in a bottle. You go to that Duke game this year, 27-of-36, nearly 400 yards, two touchdowns, no picks. He had moments. He’s an athlete. He’s a dual-threat. This is not a statue back there. … He’s a tough kid. Antonio Williams was the guy. When he got back in there, Cade Klubnik became a more consistent quarterback week-to-week.”

Yates: “We thought they would take a quarterback at some point today. They have finally done so. Matt mentioned the three first-round picks next year. You have to imagine there was some influence with their new offensive coordinator, Frank Reich. He was the interim coach at Stanford last year. He didn’t play Clemson, but certainly very familiar with a player that’s in the same conference. So the Jets now have a No. 2 or 3 option behind Geno Smith.”

Riddick: “That may be the key right there with Cade. … A lot of times with quarterbacks like this, it is about the relationship that he really forms with his play-caller. And maybe Frank Reich, who is well, well, well respected, can get him to really just even out the performance. Because you’ve seen flashes. It’s there. But that’s not good enough, right. As Bill Belichick used to say, I don’t need somebody who can do it sometimes, I need somebody who can do it all the time. That’s the difference between being a starter and being a backup.”

Kiper: “Something was missing. This team was expected in August to compete for a national title, right. … The wheels came off. You had guys who underachieved. Williams had the injury. Klubnik had to deal with a lot of things going on there. Something wasn’t right. Clemson Tigers, as a team – not just the players – underachieved big-time.”