Cole Payton is about to find out how he stacks up against NFL talent for the first time. The Philadelphia Eagles’ fifth-round quarterback reports to the Jefferson Health Training Complex on July 28, part of a rookie and veteran class arriving together as the team opens training camp for the 2026 season.
Payton isn’t walking into a quarterback competition. Jalen Hurts is the unquestioned starter, fresh off a Super Bowl LIX MVP performance and now adjusting to a new offense under coordinator Sean Mannion. But that doesn’t make Payton’s camp meaningless. Every rep is an audition for a roster spot behind Hurts, and for a rookie picked 178th overall, that’s the whole ballgame this summer.
From Preferred Walk-On to NFL Draft Pick
Payton’s path here wasn’t a straight line. Out of Omaha’s Westside High School, where he was named Nebraska’s Gatorade Player of the Year, most of his major offers came from Division II programs. He landed at North Dakota State as a preferred walk-on in 2021, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
He spent five seasons with the Bison before getting his shot as the starter in 2025 — and he made it count. Payton completed 161 of his passes for 2,719 yards and 16 touchdowns that season, with a 193.8 passer rating and 12.1 yards per attempt that both set single-season school records, the Inquirer reported. He also ran for 777 yards and 13 touchdowns, numbers that speak to why scouts kept circling back to his tape.
He’s also a rarity at the position: Payton throws left-handed, putting him in a small group of active NFL lefties that includes Atlanta’s Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. and Cleveland’s Dillon Gabriel.
What the Eagles Are Getting
Head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t hold back when describing Payton after the draft. “Really, really athletic. Really good with the ball in his hands in the quarterback run game,” Sirianni said, according to the Inquirer. He pointed to Payton’s ball security and decision-making, noting the 72% completion rate as evidence he’s not just a scrambler who got lucky.
At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Payton plays with an explosive, dual-threat style that’s drawn comparisons to a left-handed Taysom Hill, according to SI.com. He also operated a pro-style scheme at North Dakota State, which should ease part of the transition, though the outlet noted Eagles quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier has mechanical inconsistencies to clean up.
Philadelphia’s staff isn’t short on people to do that work. Between Mannion, passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard, senior offensive assistant Jerrod Johnson, and Frazier, the Eagles have built one of the deeper quarterback development groups in the league — a real asset for a player who took a five-year, unconventional route to get here.
| Category | 2025 Stat (North Dakota State) |
|---|---|
| Completions/Attempts | 161 completions, 71.9% completion rate |
| Passing Yards | 2,719 |
| Passing Touchdowns | 16 (4 interceptions) |
| Passer Rating | 193.8 (school record) |
| Rushing Yards / TDs | 777 yards, 13 touchdowns |
The Roster Math
Here’s the practical reality: teams don’t often stash a fifth-round quarterback on the practice squad without a fight from other franchises trying to claim him off waivers. As the Inquirer put it, it “seems unlikely” the Eagles could sneak Payton through to the practice squad if he doesn’t make the initial 53-man roster, since rival teams could simply claim him.
That gives Payton real incentive to show something in camp and preseason games. The Eagles’ quarterback room now includes Hurts, veteran depth, and Payton, with the club having shown a willingness to carry four arms if the roster spots make sense, according to SI.com.
A Homecoming Along the Way
Before camp opened, Payton made time to go back to Nebraska. He served as a guest instructor at teammate Cam Jurgens’ free youth football camp in Beatrice, working with kids in his home state just weeks after hearing his name called in the draft. “It was a blast,” Payton said, according to a report from Nebraska TV. “Cam hit me up a couple weeks ago and asked if I could come down. I said, ‘Heck yeah.'”
It’s a small detail, but it fits the profile of a player who spent five years earning everything the hard way — someone for whom an NFL locker room, and an NFL camp battle, is still something to appreciate rather than take for granted.
What’s Next
Philadelphia’s veterans and rookies report together July 28 at the Jefferson Health Training Complex, with padded practices to follow. The Eagles have a joint practice set against the New England Patriots beginning August 19, giving Payton and the rest of the roster bubble a chance to test themselves against outside competition before the preseason game against New England on August 22, per Inside the Iggles. The 53-man roster cutdown across the league is set for August 30.
