The New York Jets saw enough potential in Cade Klubnik that they traded up 18 spots to select the former Clemson quarterback with the No. 110 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Jets quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave recently discussed Klubnik’s progress during the offseason. He likes what he’s seen so far from the rookie fourth-round pick.

“Cade’s done well, Cade’s jumped right in. He’s very eager to get this thing and figure it out,” Musgrave said, via the Jets’ official website on June 15.

Musgrave praised Klubnik’s work ethic and athleticism, noting that the coaching staff is working to harness his skills and Pro Day-level speed.

“He’s coming in every single day; he’s ready to rock and roll,” Musgrave said. “His Pro Day, he might’ve ran 4.57 so he can move…he’s got a lot of athletic skills and we’ll try to harness them and have him get good at this football thing at the pro level.”

Musgrave added that the two-time ACC Championship Game MVP and former five-star prospect from Texas has a “good base” from a mechanical standpoint for a young QB.

“We kind of studied the grip on the football, he’s got plenty good grip, so there’s not a lot of slipping in mid-motion,” Musgrave said. “Those balls are not coming unraveled when he throws them, they’re not flying coasters by any means. He throws a nice, tight spiral and he really has a great skillset. I don’t think we could be any more excited to work with the young guy than we are.”

Klubnik has been dealing with what appears to be minor back spasms, sidelining him for multiple OTA and minicamp sessions. Jets head coach Aaron Glenn expected the issue to be short-term and wanted to make sure the situation doesn’t linger.

“I don’t think there’s a reason to rush him out there,” Glenn said before the first day of Jets’ mandatory minicamp on June 16, via SNY. “Obviously he had the back spasms last week, and I would see him practicing more towards the end of this week. Again, it’s precautionary. Don’t need to force it right now, but again he’ll be with us at the end of the week.”

Klubnik is competing to be New York’s backup QB behind veteran Geno Smith, who has been named the starter. Along with Smith and Klubnik, the Jets’ QB room also includes Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe.

Formerly viewed as a potential first-round pick, Klubnik’s stock slipped substantially during a disappointing senior season in 2025, leading to his fall in the draft. Though his final college season did not go as he had hoped, he still exited Clemson as the school-record-holder in pass completions (916) and pass attempts (1,432), third in passing yards (10,123), fourth in passing touchdowns (73), total touchdown responsibility (90) and total offense (11,001), while posting a 26-14 record as a starter, concluding his career fifth in wins by a starting quarterback in school history.