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The Philadelphia Eagles selected quarterback Cole Payton at No. 178 overall in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Philadelphia Eagles added a new quarterback in Cole Payton during Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Payton played for North Dakota State in the FCS, but te fact hasn’t previously deterred the Eagles.
Payton became the second North Dakota State quarterback the Eagles have selected over the past decade. The team landed Carson Wentz at No. 2 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Payton went to No. 178 overall to Philadelphia.
“Payton is a dual-threat, single-season FCS starter with good size,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “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’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.”
Payton led the Bison to a perfect regular season last year. But the team lost its first postseason game in the FCS playoffs.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers and a variety of other NFL teams. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb