Why Cade Klubnik didn't get drafted in NFL Draft 1st round despite preseason draft projections originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Before the 2025 college football season, Cade Klubnik was a projected NFL Draft first-round pick.

The Clemson QB had been a highly touted recruit with a lot of big-time performances already under his belt for the Tigers.

The 2026 NFL Draft first round came and went on Thursday night, and Klubnik was nowhere to be found.

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza went No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. Alabama's Ty Simpson then went 13th to the Los Angeles Rams.

Klubnik was joined by the likes of Penn State's Drew Allar and Miami's Carson Beck in missing out.

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The problem for Klubnik is that his 2025 college football season didn't match the hype.

He and the Tigers struggled, and it knocked his draft stock down considerably.

He's now viewed as a mid-to-late-round QB selection, not a guy who instilled confidence that he could be a long-term NFL starter.

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Klubnik still has a lot of the traits that gave him a lot of expectation, but he also displayed some of his flaws in a less-than-spotless 2025 campaign.

He'll get drafted at some point almost for sure, but it hasn't happened yet.

The second and third rounds are Friday, but Klubnik might have to wait for rounds four through seven on Saturday.

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