Player Overview
Cole Payton player info, news, stats, game logs, videos, fantasy, and more on NBC Sports.
www.nbcsports.comCole 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
- Draft status: 178th overall pick by Philadelphia (6th round).[1]
- College performance: 2,719 passing yards, 16 TDs, 4 INTs, 777 rushing yards in his final season; several school records noted by reports.[1]
- Prospect profile: Viewed as a high-upside, dual-threat option with NFL potential but limited starting experience in college; comparisons to lineages of past Bison QBs drafted into the NFL are common in coverage.[3][8]
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.