Eagles Draft NDSU QB Cole Payton in 5th Round, High-Upside Prospect

The Philadelphia Eagles selected North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton with the 178th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. An elite athlete with a 9.87 RAS, Payton recorded 2,719 passing yards, 16 TDs, and 4 INTs as a one-year starter, adding 777 rushing yards and 13 TDs. He led Combine-invited QBs in aDOT (12.3) and Big Time Throw rate (11.3%). Payton, who shares an agent with Carson Wentz, joins a QB room featuring Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, and Andy Dalton, and is viewed as a high-upside developmental prospect, following in Wentz's footsteps as an NDSU QB drafted by the Eagles.