Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik Among 2026 NFL Draft Late-Round Quarterbacks

Late-round quarterbacks like Drew Allar and Cade Klubnik headline a 2026 NFL Draft sleeper class filled with upside, developmental intrigue, and potential long-term value.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (QB02) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Each NFL draft, there will be back-end fliers taken on quarterbacks, with a goal of finding the next Tom Brady, a franchise difference-maker with longevity and Super Bowl-winning upside. Brock Purdy (seventh round in 2022) is the closest a team has come to achieving that outcome at quarterback over recent years. He has yet to win a Super Bowl, but he led the 49ers to the championship game in the 2023 season, plus two other deep playoff runs.

Here’s a look at the second group of five quarterbacks who will still be on the board after the top five are selected:

Drew Allar, Penn State

After leading Penn State to a 23-6 record in 2023 and 2024, Allar broke his left ankle in the sixth game (3-3) last season, costing him the remainder of the year. He had the Big 10 in completions (262), pass attempts (394), completion rate (66.5), and passing yards (3,327) in 2024 while also being active in the run game (96/302/6 – 3.1 YPC). Over his best two seasons, Allar had 59 combined touchdowns over 29 starts. His play was down last year (183 passing yards per game with eight touchdowns and three interceptions) over his six starts, leading to him losing his final three games by close margins (24-30, 37-42, and 21-22).

Allar brings an NFL arm and size (6’5” and 230 lbs.) to this year’s draft table with winning success in college. The foundation of his skill set projects well, but he must improve his pre- and post-snap reads to avoid mistakes. Allar’s timing and location of throw will improve with better mechanics and decision-making. His pocket presence is reasonable, but his view of the field isn’t where it needs to be to win against NFL defenses. He can extend plays with his legs and steal some scoring chances. In a way, Allar gets locked in at times on his early targets, resulting in late throws and possible turnovers or sacks. He played out of the shotgun at Penn State.

Allar will shine on easy throws to wide-open receivers, but his passing window will be much smaller in the NFL, requiring better location of his passes under pressure.

Cade Klubnik, Clemson

Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) looks to pass during the first half of the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Over his first two seasons at Clemson, Klubnik went 19-8 while averaging 34.8 passing attempts per game. He gained a career-high 4,102 combined yards in 2024 with 43 touchdowns and six interceptions. Unfortunately, his game and the offensive play of the Tigers backed up last year. Klubnik finished with a career-best completion rate (65.6%), but had a sharp decline in his passing yards (2,943), passing touchdowns (16), and rushing yards (94). 

Klubnik worked out of the shotgun in college, where he was used on RPO plays. His speed is better than shown by his career yards per rush (2.4), highlighted by scoring 15 times on the ground over the past three seasons. Klubnik brings a balanced arm with the ability to zip the ball and change speeds when needed. His goal is to get the ball out quickly and on time over the short areas of the field. 

He can extend his passing window with his feet, with the ability to be accurate on the move. Klubnik loses his accuracy when faced with heavy pressure up the middle, leading to some high and off-target throws to receivers breaking open for big plays. He must improve reading defenses, and his success in the deep passing game. Klubnik comes to the NFL at 6’2” and about 205 lbs.

Joey Aguilar, Tennessee

Aguilar parleyed two starting seasons at Appalachian State (6,760 passing yards, 56 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions over 25 games) to a starting job at Tennessee in 2025. His completion rate (67.3%) reached a new ceiling with the Volunteers, leading to 3,565 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Over his three years in college, he rushed for 553 yards and nine scores on 211 carries. Aguilar gained an impressive 8.8 yards per pass attempt in 2025 while passing for over 300 yards in four games (371/4, 335/1, 396/3, and 393/3).

In mid-June, Aguilar turns 25. He had success in his jump to Tennessee last year, but many of his passes went to his first receiving option from a clean pocket. He showed a willingness to take deep shots while looking sharp when given time to hit targets all over the field. Aguilar is a physical runner who can move the chains when needed. The Volunteers featured him out of the shotgun. His challenge at the next level will be tighter passing windows and less time to scan the field. 

Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (QB14) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Pavia is another quarterback who transferred to a top college program in 2024. He lacked accuracy (57.9% completion rate) over his first two seasons at New Mexico State (4,423 passing yards with 39 touchdowns and 15 interceptions over 27 games). Pavia had a game manager feel in his first season (176 passing yards per game with 20 touchdowns and four interceptions) with the Commodores. He made up for his passing shortfall by rushing for 2,232 yards and 21 touchdowns on 461 carries over his first three years in college.

The pieces to his puzzle came together in 2025, highlighted by an elite completion rate (70.6%), with career highs in passing yards (3,529) and passing touchdowns (29). He gained an impressive 9.4 yards per pass attempt while maintaining his edge in the run game (167/862/10). Pavia had two impact games in 2025 (400 combined yards with six touchdowns and 532 combined yards with six touchdowns). He finished his college career with rushing touchdowns in seven consecutive games.

Pavia comes to the NFL as an undersized quarterback prospect (5’10” and 205 lbs.). He throws with a nice rhythm to his passes, which increases his catch rate. His one passing area of weakness is passing to one-on-one coverage on the outside. Pavia will rely on arc and touch, which could lead to defensive touchdowns in the NFL. His goal is to pass first with eyes up if switching to the run game. Vanderbilt ran him out of the shotgun, with more plays starting in the pocket. His vision is favorable, and Pavia has enough arm to challenge the long field.

When watching his highlights, Pavia would be a perfect backup for Lamar Jackson. He allows the Ravens to run the same system, and his overall ceiling should be higher than Tyler Huntley's. 

Sawyer Robertson, Baylor

Robertson comes off career highs in completions (304), pass attempts (504), and touchdowns (31), but his completion rate (60.3% - 60.5% in his college career) remains well below that of an elite NFL quarterback. In 2024, he had more success running the ball (63/230/4 – 56/17/3 last year). Robertson passed for over 400 yards in three games (419/3, 440/4, and 430/3) while also posting an impact game (393/4) against Oklahoma State.

His arm and release project well for the NFL, but he must improve his mechanics and accuracy to earn a backup role. Robertson wants to take the top of a defense, which will be much harder in tighter passing windows at the next level. As a result, his reads and execution will be exposed in pro ball. He can extend plays with his feet and hang tough in the pocket, but Robertson will miss fire on too many plays early in his career. I view him as a project for an NFL team willing to carry him on their practice squad.