Cole Payton Drafted 178 Overall to the Philadelphia Eagles

PITTSBURGH, PA (KVRR) – Cole Payton adds his name to the list of quarterbacks drafted from North Dakota State University.

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Payton with the 178th pick in the 5th round Saturday.

“Yeah, I mean, it was tough. It wasn’t easy for sure,” Payton said. “Being the competitor I am, I just love football. And so it was tough at times. People ask why I didn’t transfer, and it’s because I believed in NDSU, the pro-style offense, the fact that they’ve sent so many guys to the NFL. I felt that looking ahead, I had one year and I was going to make the most of that one year. And here I am. I’m just so excited to be an Eagle and get to work and compete and improve and learn and grow.”

After backing up Cam Miller early in his career, Payton started all 13 games in the 2025-26 season for NDSU. He passed for 2,719 yards and 16 touchdowns to just four interceptions, while adding 777 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. The Bison finished the season 12-1.

In his career, Payton played in 52 games, making 13 total starts at quarterback—all during his senior season. He completed 70 percent of his passes for 3,188 yards and 21 touchdowns to six interceptions, while rushing for 1,918 yards and another 31 touchdowns.

Payton now joins a growing list of NDSU quarterbacks to reach the NFL:

2016 – Carson Wentz (No. 2 overall) | Philadelphia Eagles
Spent 2025-26 season with the Minnesota Vikings

2019 – Easton Stick (5th round, 166 overall) | Los Angeles Chargers
Spent 2025-26 season with the Atlanta Falcons

2021 – Trey Lance (No. 3 overall) | San Francisco 49ers
Spent 2025-26 season with the Los Angeles Chargers

2025 – Cam Miller (6th round, 215 overall) | Las Vegas Raiders
Spent 2025-26 season with the Las Vegas Raiders; ended season on the Miami Dolphins