Quarterbacks. In the NFL, if you have a good one, then you have a decent chance of posting a winning record, possibly winning a playoff game, and perhaps even a championship.
If you don’t? Well, then you are the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, or the Cleveland Browns.
Cleveland has employed so many quarterbacks over the years that it can be hard to remember if Bruce Gradkowski actually started a season finale against the Pittsburgh or if that was just a fever-induced dream.
Everyone’s
favorite quarterback-starved team is back at it again this offseason, as the Browns are seriously toying with holding the most depressing quarterback competition imaginable this summer. Normally, the NFL Draft would hold some hope. But this year’s draft class is presumed to be Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and then a bunch of guys who, if everything breaks correctly, could possibly become functional starting quarterbacks.
Nothing ever breaks correctly for the Browns, of course, so if general manager Andrew Berry is looking for the next backup quarterback for the roster, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik could be trading one set of orange uniforms for another on draft weekend.
Name: Cade Klubnik
Position: Quarterback
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 207 pounds
College: Clemson Tigers
2025 Passing Stats: 12 games, 65.6 completion percentage, 2,943 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 139.0 quarterback rating
Career Passing Stats: 49 games, 64.0 completion percentage, 10,123 passing yards, 73 passing touchdowns, 24 interceptions, 136.8 quarterback rating
Average “Big Board” Position as of Publishing Date from Mock Draft Database: 193rd overall, projected sixth round
The Draft Network’s Grade/Round Value: Round 3 – Adequate Starter
What an Expert is Saying
Much was expected of Klubnik after a strong showing in 2024, but his play and production declined in 2025. He’s undersized but athletic and shows an ability to attack zone windows with adequate velocity over the first two levels. He can make some timing throws with anticipation when in rhythm. However, when the first read isn’t there, his field vision is average, and he’s not good enough off-platform/out of structure to succeed at a high enough rate. The accuracy numbers to most areas of the field fall below the mark, but the tape study shows a high drop count by his receivers. While his designed run production fell off in 2025, he remains pocket-mobile, avoiding sacks and exploiting rushing lanes. Maintaining poise and mechanics are essential, so finding a short passing attack with a competent run game feels like a must for Klubnik.
What an Expert is Saying (Bonus Round):
At about 6-foot-1 1/2 and around 205 pounds, he is small by NFL standards. He has good mobility, though it shows up more in escapability than true dual-threat ability. He is a natural touch passer who can layer throws between zone coverages, both in the pocket and off-platform. He also maintains sound fundamentals, which give him a repeatable throwing motion, though when he misses, his misses tend to be high.
Overall, his arm talent is lacking. He can deliver pretty passes when things go right, but he can get into trouble if he is late to his reads. He also had a difficult time seeing post-snap rotations — specifically from safeties — in 2025. He is generally good under pressure, but he can have bad panic moments that are back-breakers.
His lack of pace on his passes shows up in his high turnover-worthy play rate over the middle of the field, and there are times when he has to stand and pass on his toes to see over the line. That said, he has been a leader and a winner at every stop of his football career.
Fit with the Browns
An undersized quarterback lacking in arm talent in the “rough and tumble” conditions of the AFC North? Where do the Browns sign up!
Klubnik appears destined for a backup role in the NFL, and there is nothing wrong with that. But the Browns already have that box checked with Dillon Gabriel, and will probably realize that Shedeur Sanders also fits that space soon enough.
So, unless Berry wants to rearrange the nameplates in the quarterback room, it is hard to see him using a pick on Klubnik.
Browns Player Drafting Could Impact
If the Browns draft a quarterback, then Dillon Gabriel is likely the odd man out. (He may be anyway.) If the Browns draft a good quarterback, then Shedeur Sanders could be taking his show somewhere else this fall.
Priority: General Beringer is about to activate DEFCON 1.
What are your thoughts on Cade Klubnik? Should the Browns take a gamble on him? Let us know in the comments!
