Cole Payton is a quarterback from North Dakota State who was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2026 NFL Draft, in the sixth round (178th overall). He’s viewed as a dual-threat prospect with a strong final college season, but he faces development time behind established NFL quarterbacks on the Eagles’ depth chart.[1][3]
Key context
If you’d like, I can pull a quick, current summary from a few outlets (ESPN, NFL.com, PFF) and format a one-page briefing with projected fits, strengths/weaknesses, and immediate NFL role expectations. Also I can add a short timeline of how his draft situation could influence Eagles’ quarterback movement in 2026.
In a world where people like to force “the next Taysom Hill” each draft season, Payton actually has the ingredients to potentially be worthy of that comparison. He is a well-above-average athlete for the position and a decent enough passer (lefty) to play as an H-back and even a dropback quarterback in a pinch. However, his play as a quarterback under pressure against NFL-caliber competition is still quite unproven.
www.pff.comNorth Dakota State's Cole Payton is the biggest wild card at quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. A one-year starter, Payton was outstanding in 2025. The Omaha, N
www.si.comCole Payton player info, news, stats, game logs, videos, fantasy, and more on NBC Sports.
www.nbcsports.comLatest on player.Position player.DisplayName including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on NFL.com
www.nfl.com