The New England Patriots had a respectable draft this year, adding to the trenches in the first two rounds and giving Drake Maye support in tight end Eli Raridon and running back Jam Miller down the board. While their draft was widely respected as one of the more solid classes around the league, their sworn rivals appear to have had a home-run draft of their own.
The New York Jets selected David Bailey of Texas Tech with the No. 2 overall pick to add to their pass rush, and added to their offensive corps with the additions of Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. in the first round. In the second round, they selected Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds, who was a star for the Hoosiers during their National Championship-winning season.
Down the board, the Jets made an addition to their quarterback room: former Clemson five-star Cade Klubnik. The Jets traded for Geno Smith this offseason as well, while Brady Cook and former Patriot Bailey Zappe fill out the depth chart.
While Klubnik's play at Clemson wasn't that of a top NFL prospect, there could be a path for him to see the field early, given the weak QB room in New York.
Jets QB Cade Klubnik could actually see significant snaps as a rookie
While the Jets are by no means contenders, they've built a respectable group of skill position players. Breece Hall re-signed to continue in his role as a star running back, while Braelon Allen, who showed flashes as a power back in 2024, will return from an MCL sprain in 2026.
Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, and Mason Taylor are all returning as key pass catchers, while the aforementioned Sadiq and Cooper should have important roles as rookies. Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou make up one of the best tackle duos in the league, and the signing of Dylan Parham further solidifies their line.
The major question mark on offense is their quarterback. Smith has shown some strong play over the last half-decade, but the 2025 season with the Raiders was a disaster. He was 2-13 as a starter, throwing for 19 touchdowns and a league-leading 17 interceptions.
If Smith is unable to turn his play around in 2026, it wouldn't come as a surprise to see a desperate Aaron Glenn turn to Klubnik for a spark.
Expecting Cade Klubnik to be a star seems foolish
Klubnik was no doubt a worthy flier with the 110th overall pick, but expecting him to develop into anything more than a high-quality backup seems foolish. While there was a time when experts believed he could be a top-five selection, he didn't live up to expectations in 2025.
By the end of the 2024 season, the Clemson standout recorded 43 total touchdowns and six interceptions while averaging just shy of 260 passing yards a game. Compare that to 2025, when he totaled 20 touchdowns to six interceptions while playing in two fewer games. His passing yards per game dipped to 245 as Clemson went from 10-4 to 7-5 with him at the helm.
A rebound wouldn't be out of the question, but it seems unlikely he'll become the star fans once thought he could be, especially given that he'll be in a QB competition with Geno Smith.
Klubnik may be the latest offseason darling for Jets fans to get excited about, but it seems very unlikely that he'll help them make up much ground on the AFC East or New England Patriots, who beat them by an average of 22.5 points last season.
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