The Cole Payton selection by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft is a bit of a throwback pick to what GM Howie Roseman has preached in the past. The dual-threat QB was a one-year starter at FBS North Dakota State, and his tools include a strong left arm that can make any throw and 4.56 speed in the 40 that will get him out of jams in the pocket.

But make no mistake, Payton is a project, one who will not start in the NFL anytime soon, but he remains an intriguing prospect because of his dynamic skill set.

Cole Payton NFL and Fantasy Outlook With the Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have valued the backup QB as much as any NFL team, and it’s shown in their multiple Super Bowl runs. Nick Foles took over when Carson Wentz tore his ACL late in the 2017 season to lead the Eagles on a magical run to the title.

A few years later, Jalen Hurts was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft to back up Wentz. Hurts took over with four games left in the season and never relinquished the starting job. Hurts played two of his best games in a pair of Super Bowls, winning the 2025 edition and taking home MVP honors.

Could the Eagles be following a similar blueprint with Payton? In a way he’s the mirror image of Hurts, as the left-handed Payton has a big arm and with good rushing ability. No evidence that he might be good on the tush push, but at just under 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, he’s plenty sturdy. Staying five years at North Dakota State—but starting only 13 games in the final season—means that he is no threat to Hurts, who has three more years on his contract.

Payton has talent, as he passed for 2,719 yards and 16 TDs, adding 777-13 on the ground. His inexperience does show in his footwork, as experts like Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and Dane Brugler pointed out how his feet were sometimes in problematic placement on throws. Though when he used those feet to run, he ripped off 29 carries of 10+ yards.

Draft Payton In Rookie Drafts?

What’s intriguing about Payton is that he’ll be working with Sean Mannion, formerly the QB coach of the Packers. During his two years in Green Bay, Mannion helped Malik Willis develop from a raw talent with a big arm and a lively running game when he leaves the pocket. Willis parlayed a few spot starts and some mopup duty into a three-year, $67.5M contract. Payton can look at that success story and get to work with Mannion to see if he could one day put all that talent on display and get a chance as a starter, even if it’s not in Philadelphia.

He is occasionally going undrafted in 12-team leagues conducting four-round rookie drafts, even in superflex leagues. That’s understandable, as Payton not only is behind Hurts, but also well-regarded backup QB Tanner McKee, whose presence and development in Philadelphia should give fantasy managers encouragement for the possibility that Payton could one day become a viable player in fantasy football. He’s basically free at the end of drafts, and if your squad can afford to sit him for multiple seasons, he could one day emerge as starter. As Hurts did at the end of 2020. But this is not a comparison, because Hurts started at least parts of four seasons at either Alabama or Oklahoma. Plan on Payton sitting at least one year before even rising to QB2 status in Philly. But the tools are there if he ever puts it together.