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North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton.

The Baltimore Ravens have played a shell game at backup quarterback in recent years — a “Who’s That Guy?” rotation that has done little to inspire confidence if superstar and 2-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson gets hurt again.

That could all change in the 2026 NFL draft, where The Athletic’s Dane Brugler released a 7-round mock draft which predicts the Ravens will select North Dakota State quarterback and 2-time FCS national champion Cole Payton in the 5th round (No. 154 overall).

“Payton is green and will require patience, but he’s a dynamic dual-threat quarterback,” Brugler wrote. “His physical tools and competitive makeup are promising qualities for a developmental prospect.”

Since drafting Jackson in the 1st round (No. 32 overall) in the 2018 NFL draft, the Ravens have selected 2 more quarterbacks. They selected Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley in the 6th round (No. 197 overall) in the 2019 NFL draft.

While McSorley spent 2 seasons as Jackson’s backup and played in 3 regular-season games, he’s already 2 years into his coaching career and is an offensive assistant with the Buffalo Bills.

The Ravens drafted North Carolina State quarterback Devin Leary in the 6th round (No. 218 overall) in the 2024 NFL draft. He’s been on the practice squad the last 2 seasons.

Cole Payton Helped Draft Stock at NFL Combine

Payton, 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, turned heads at the NFL scouting combine by running the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds to go with a 40-inch vertical leap and a 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 Podcast. “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.”

Is Cole Payton Really ‘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.”