The Eagles have three quarterbacks on their roster, with Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee backing up Jalen Hurts. That didn't stop them from taking another one.
Philadelphia used a fifth-round pick, No. 178 overall, on North Dakota State's Cole Payton.
Payton is the sixth quarterback selected in the 2026 draft.
It is unclear how the Eagles plan to use the dual-threat player, who could be a Tysom Hill-type. NFL teams saw him as an intriguing potential tight end convert before the 2025 season, per Dane Brugler of TheAthletic.com.
As a freshman, Payton lost the starting job to Cam Miller. He served as a backup for four seasons, scoring 23 touchdowns as a reserve in mop-up duty or special packages, before becoming the starting quarterback in 2025.
In 13 starts — the only 13 starts of his career — he completed 72 percent of his passes for 2,719 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions before breaking the thumb on his left (throwing) hand. He also ran for 777 yards and 13 touchdowns on 136 carries.
Payton set school records for total offense per game (268.9) and yards per play (9.71).
