New NFL Draft Rumors About Garrett Nussmeier, Taylen Green, Cade Klubnik Ahead of Day 3

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero named four quarterbacks Saturday with a strong chance of getting taken on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL draft.

Pelissero tabbed LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and Arkansas' Taylen Green as fourth- or fifth-round picks, and Clemson's Cade Klubnik as going "somewhere in the late rounds."

North Dakota State's Cole Payton was also mentioned as a possible pick, noting that teams could look to deploy him similarly to longtime New Orleans Saints utility player Taysom Hill.

Only four quarterbacks have come off the board thus far in the 2026 NFL draft, including two in the first round.

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza went first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, followed by Ty Simpson going 13th overall to the Los Angeles Rams.

After no quarterbacks were selected in the second round, the Arizona Cardinals used the No. 65 overall pick in the third round on Miami's Carson Beck and Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Penn State's Drew Allar 76th overall.

Entering the 2025 college football season, both Nussmeier and Klubnik were viewed as potential first-round picks in the 2026 NFL draft, but their years did not go according to plan.

Nussmeier was limited to nine games because an abdominal injury, and he ended up going 5-4, while completing 67.4 percent of his passes for 1,927 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Per Pelissero, doctors determined that a cyst on Nussmeier's spine caused him pain during the 2025 campaign, and he is now asymptomatic.

Meanwhile, after leading Clemson to an ACC title and College Football Playoff berth in 2024, Klubnik presided over a Tigers team that went a disappointing 7-6 last season.

In his 12 starts, Klubnik completed 65.6 percent of his passing attempts for 2,943 yards, 16 touchdowns and six picks.

Pelissero noted that there is some concern among scouts that Klubnik is "tapped out" when it comes to his ceiling.

Conversely, Green may have the most potential of any quarterback that will be taken on Day 3 of the draft.

After beginning his career at Boise State, Green transferred to Arkansas and had two productive seasons with the Razorbacks.

Last season, Green completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 2,714 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while also rushing for 777 yards and eight scores.

Given his dual-threat ability, Pelissero noted that scouts and coaches have compared Green to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Payton played against a lower level of competition than the other quarterback prospects, but he thrived at the FCS level last season, completing 72.0 percent of his passing attempts for 2,719 yards, 16 touchdowns and four picks, in addition to rushing for 777 yards and 13 touchdowns.

While Payton's long-term viability as an NFL starter is unclear, his diverse skill set could make him a useful player in the same mold as Hill.