Philadelphia Eagles select North Dakota State QB Cole Payton in fifth Round of 2026 NFL Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles have selected North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton in the 2026 NFL Draft. Payton comes off the board in the fifth round, with the No. 178 overall pick. He becomes the fifth North Dakota State quarterback selected in the NFL Draft since 2016 (Carson Wentz, Easton Stick, Trey Lance, and Cam Miller).

Payton spent five seasons at North Dakota State, but was the starting quarterback for just the 2025 campaign. However, he was heavily used as runner across his career.

The Omaha native passed for 2,719 yards and 16 touchdowns with just four interceptions last season, but totaled 1,919 rushing yards and 31 scores on the ground across his North Dakota State career. He led the Bisons to a 12-0 regular season record last year, before they were upset in the Second Round of the FCS Playoffs by Illinois State.

He recorded a 4.56 40-yard dash with a 1.57 10-yard split at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. A few of his strengths (courtesy of NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein) include having the sturdy frame of an NFL quarterback and being a left-handed passer who can roll left and throw accurate strikes on the move.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Cole Payton

A scouting report was provided on Payton ahead of the Draft by Zierlein. Payton was graded as an ‘average backup or special-teamer’, with a prospect score of 5.91. The easy comparison to make for Payton is former All-Pro quarterback Carson Wentz, who is also a North Dakota State alum.

Across 10 NFL seasons, Wentz boasts 23,626 passing yards and 159 passing touchdowns with 72 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 1,475 yards and 11 scores. He was named a Second Team All-Pro in 2017, and was a key member of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII team before going down with a torn ACL.

“Payton is a dual-threat, single-season FCS starter with good size,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s a lefty with shoddy mechanics and subpar arm talent, but he still manages to deliver throws with touch to all three levels. He lacks drive velocity to dot throws into tight windows and might not have the timing needed to outfox pro zone defenders, though.

“He’s not shifty but excels when short yardage is needed and has build-up speed for explosive runs once he gets rolling. Payton projects as a QB3 and will require packaged plays to take advantage of his rushing ability until he proves himself a functional pocket passer.”