The Dallas Cowboys are approaching the 2026 NFL Draft with a long list of roster questions, and among them is the perennial quarterback dilemma: do they stay the course or take a swing on a developmental passer?
In recent weeks, the name of Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, the former Texas Gatorade Football Player of the Year, has surfaced in some draft discussions as a potential late-day pick for Dallas, even though the team’s most urgent needs are widely viewed as defense and at skill positions.
Klubnik‘s college journey has been a roller-coaster. After starring at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, and earning Gatorade’s top football honor in the state as a senior, he entered Clemson as one of the most decorated quarterback recruits in the nation.
Expectations were sky-high, but his production dipped in his final season, and evaluators now project him more as a mid-round developmental prospect rather than a surefire early pick.
Still, Dallas’s front office, led by owner Jerry Jones, has built a reputation for occasionally defying conventional draft logic. Jones and head coach Brian Schottenheimer have been actively scouting a wide array of prospects ahead of the draft, balancing needs on both sides of the ball.
With two first-round selections (No. 12 and No. 20) and several later picks, the Cowboys have the flexibility to consider a high-upside quarterback if they feel the value is right.
A deeper look at Klubnik‘s draft profile
Despite the mixed 2025 campaign, Klubnik still offers traits that intrigue NFL scouts.
His arm talent and accuracy, traits that made him a five-star recruit, haven’t vanished, and his ability to operate in play-action and RPO concepts remains a plus in the right system.
But questions linger about his consistency as a traditional dropback passer and his ability to make full-field progressions against NFL-level defenses.
Analysts currently view Klubnik as a likely third- or fourth-round prospect, a significant slide from his earlier projection as a potential first-round quarterback. That kind of value could be tempting for a team like Dallas if they see a developmental quarterback as a piece worth investing in with one of their middle-round picks.
It’s also worth noting that the broader quarterback class in this draft cycle has been described as deep but uneven, with several top names returning to school or entering with question marks attached.
That dynamic could make a player like Klubnik, with a strong pedigree and flashes of high-level play, more attractive later in the draft than his final college numbers might suggest.
Jones has long spoken publicly about the importance of drafting “best player available,” and while that mantra often gets interpreted through the lens of need, it also allows for flexibility when evaluating players with intriguing upside.
Whether Klubnik fits that mold for the Cowboys will likely come down to how the pre-draft process unfolds: how he performs in workouts, interviews, and the NFL Scouting Combine, and how Dallas‘s board shapes up on draft night.
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