Cole Payton
Getty
QB Cole Payton is an intriguing young QB.
The Green Bay Packers spent the better part of two seasons watching Malik Willis develop into one of the league’s most coveted backup quarterbacks. Now that he’s gone, they may look to replace him with a player who shares many of the same traits.
ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid named the Packers as the best team fit for ex-North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton, ranking the left-handed QB sixth among the 12 quarterbacks he expects to have their names called in next month’s draft.
Willis signed with the Miami Dolphins on a three-year, $67.5 million contract in March, following a two-year stint in Green Bay during which he posted a 134.6 passer rating as Jordan Love’s primary backup.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst originally acquired Willis from Tennessee for a 2025 seventh-round pick in August of 2024, and that investment paid off both on the field and as a future comp pick — but his departure leaves the Packers without a proven option behind Love.
Could the Green Bay Packers Draft QB Cole Payton to Replace Jordan Love?
Cole Payton
GettyESPN’s Jordan Reid named the Green Bay Packers the best fit for former NDSU QB Cole Payton in the 2026 draft.
At NDSU, Payton served as the No. 2 quarterback as a redshirt sophomore in 2023, and he saw the field primarily as a rusher that year, running for 615 yards on 84 carries, also scoring 13 touchdowns. His redshirt junior season ended early after an injury in October of 2024 limited him to eight games.
When he finally got the keys as a full-time starter in 2025, Payton had one of the most efficient seasons in program history. He led the Bison to a 12-1 record and an undefeated conference slate, completing 72 % of his passes for 2,719 yards with 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He was equally dangerous on the ground, rushing for 777 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging better than 7.0 yards per carry over his career.
“Payton is a strong dual-threat option with a frame that allows him to make difficult throws from the pocket and showcase his ability as a runner,” Reid wrote on April 5. “Designed QB runs and short-yardage situations are successful with him because of his vision and willingness to fight through and shrug off would-be tacklers. … Because of the progress that he has shown during the predraft circuit, he’s now a favorite middle-round target for teams looking for a project passer with upside.”
The Packers certainly qualify, and Payton has many of the same traits Willis possessed, so he’s certainly an intriguing option.
Cole Payton Showed Out at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine
Sam Herder
NDSU QB Cole Payton at the NFL Combine:
(Ranking among QBs at 2026 combine)
Height: 6’3’’ Weight: 232 pounds 40 — 4.56 seconds (No. 3) Vertical — 40’’ (No. 2) Broad Jump — 10’10’’ (No. 2) 3-Cone Drill — 7.12 seconds (No. 2)
Payton’s performance at the 2026 combine only strengthened his case as a likely Day 2 QB. His 40-inch vertical jump ranked third all-time among quarterbacks at the combine, and his Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.97 placed him fourth among 1,054 quarterbacks tested since 1987. He also ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash, which at 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, is quite impressive.
There are still plenty of things he has to work on, as he had just one full season as a starter in college.
“Payton has a full-circle throwing motion that includes loopy mechanics,” Reid added. “He must become less reliant on his upper body to generate power in his throws, as his lower body stiffness is most notable when throwing passes to his left side. Progressing to secondary options and overall pocket awareness are other things that he needs to improve.”
The traits Payton has are intriguing, though, and there’s no doubt a team in need of QB depth will snag him. Will that team be the Packers? We’ll know in a matter of weeks.