While it may not have been too much of a surprise, the Philadelphia Eagles' selection of North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft certainly raised some eyebrows.
There is a lot of debate about what Payton's future with the Eagles looks like. One thing is clear about him: he can help this offense out in so many different ways. ESPN NFL Draft expert Jordan Reid went into why Payton is a good fit for the Eagles' new offensive scheme set up by offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.
"Payton made a huge surge during the predraft process and ended up making the middle rounds. Even though he started only one season in college, Payton is a true dual-threat passer who has plenty of intriguing tools. He's an excellent deep thrower but needs to develop more consistency on short-to-intermediate throws. The Eagles have done well with passers with similar skill sets in the past (see: Jalen Hurts) and Payton is a versatile passer who can be used in the designed QB run game."
Cole Payton is a solid fit for what the Eagles do on offense
Hurts is successful in the Eagles' offense because he has the athleticism to use his legs while also being a good deep-ball passer with throws outside the numbers. Payton can do similar things, but might arguably be more athletic.
This is a young quarterback who, at one point, actually started a game at running back for North Dakota State. Having that kind of athletic quarterback might have given Mannion some creative ideas on how to use him in the offense, while Hurts is still the starting quarterback.
The thing with Payton, though, is that he needs time to develop as a passer, so he can't be rushed onto the field. It may be at least two years before the Eagles can realize whether they have something special in him.
Read more: Eagles reporter delivers the cold hard truth about Cole Payton fans fully expect
That's okay for the Eagles, as Hurts will hold down the job and Payton can learn from one of the best. While Payton won't be lining up as the quarterback often (if at all in the first two years), Eagles fans should still expect him to get some playing time with new packages designed for him. Mannion won't pass up a chance to use the kind of athletic ability that Payton has.
Add us as a preferred source on Google