Eagles Select QB Cole Payton in 5th Round
Aug 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes linebacker LaVonta Bentley (20) tackles North Dakota State Bison quarterback Cole Payton (9) in the first half at Folsom Field. Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
The Eagles held the 178th overall draft pick and the 38th pick of the 5th round. With that pick, they took North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton.
Payton, a 6’3 232 lb 5th year QB, started just one season for the NDSU Bison, 2025. In his year as a starter, he showed off his ability immensely, passing for over 2,700 yards and holding a 4-1 TD-INT ratio. On top of this, Payton was also stellar at putting the ball in his own team’s hands, holding a 72% completion percentage and a 1.5% INT percentage.
In the regular season, Payton led his Bison to a 12-0 record. In the first round of the FCS playoffs, while up 28-14, he ended up leaving the game early due to an injury, resulting in a 28-29 loss to Illinois State. NDSU, in recent NFL history, has proven to be a great school for producing NFL QBs, with such QBs as Easton Stick, Trey Lance, and former Eagles QB Carson Wentz. So, with Payton, this would be the fourth NDSU QB to enter the NFL in the last ten years, showing off just how good NDSU has become at producing NFL talent.
Payton is not going to replace Jalen Hurts. Payton will serve as a young, developing QB to serve as a potential Tanner McKee/Andy Dalton backup if disaster strikes for Hurts. Like many other Philadelphia-drafted QBs over the last few years, Payton will serve a role similar to that of Kyle McCord last season or Tanner McKee in 2024. So, overall, Payton is not coming for any “day 1 impact” reasons; rather, simply as a depth piece like most other 5th round picks are used for.
Isaac Baranski
Isaac is a high-school senior who currently attends the Hun School of Princeton. In his free time, he has many interests, but most of all is his love for Philadelphia sports. He has watched the 76ers since the days of Sam Hinkie and hopes to watch the process be completed. He has also watched the Phillies since the days of Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and the great crew, and hopes to see Red October finally achieve its goal. Along with that, he picked up a love for the Philadelphia Union shortly before the pandemic, and has seen them win multiple Supporters’ Shields in person. Lastly, and most importantly, he is a major football lover and an even bigger Eagles lover. Since developing his love for The Birds in elementary school, he has made it his goal to never miss a game.
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