Cole Payton
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North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton.
The Philadelphia Eagles have managed to turn a throwaway pick for a backup quarterback into, for all intents and purposes, a desirable trade option in 2023 6th-round pick Tanner McKee.
What do we know about the Eagles? If they find a formula that works, there is a 100 percent chance they’re going back to it.
They failed in that regard in 2025 by drafting Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord with a 6th round pick — he’s not even on the roster anymore — but ESPN’s Matt Miller predicts they’ll go back to the well and draft North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton in the 4th round (No. 114 overall) of the 2026 NFL draft.
Cole Payton Helped Draft Stock at NFL Combine
Payton, 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, wowed at the NFL scouting combine by running the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds to go with a 40-inch vertical leap and 10-foot, 10-inch broad jump.
“Cole Payton from North Dakota State might be the third-best (quarterback) prospect,” The Ringer’s Todd McShay said on The Bill Simmons Podcat. “I’m not saying he’s there now, but a guy who could come in, kind of like Seattle was trying to use Jalen Milroe, short yardage, goal lines, play that role and develop into a starter. He’s mobile, he throws the ball well on the run, he’s deadly accurate and it’s the weirdest thing because all of his mechanics look horrible, like tight upper body, south paw, all that. I think he could go ahead of Garrett Nussmeier and Carson Beck … I think he could wind up going in the second round. And I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t go in the third. I honestly think he could be the third quarterback off the board.”
Cole Payton Called ‘Future Franchise QB’
Payton spent 4 seasons — and won 2 FCS national championships — playing in what McShay called the “Tim Tebow Role” for North Dakota State as a backup who came in and was utilized in short-yardage situations.
In his lone season as a starter in 2025, he threw for 2,719 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. Payton also rushed for 777 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per carry as the Bison went 12-1.
“Cole Payton put on a show today at his Pro Day!” Former NFL quarterback Jake Heaps wrote on his official X account on March 19. “Cole ripped the ball going 52/54. He checked all of the boxes today and displayed why he is one of the best QBs in this draft. One team is going to land a future franchise QB.”
Eagles Could Ease Physical Toll on Jalen Hurts
If the Eagles want to keep starting quarterback Jalen Hurts around for another 10 years — instead of another 5 years — they might want to consider lessening the physical toll levied on him. Most of that has come from running the ball in Tush Push situations, which is the short-yardage miracle of a play that’s defined this era for the Eagles.
It’s also left Hurts, on more than 1 occasion, beaten up pretty good. That’s why a player like Payton might be able to step in and relieve some of that burden — and probably create some draft value for himself, like what’s happened with McKee.