Amid the Minnesota Vikings needing answers at quarterback, the team could draft one for the second time in three years.
Former North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton impressed at the Senior Bowl and has NFL scouts’ interest thus far. However, USA Today’s Vikings Wire writer Garrett Burroughs cautions the Vikings on viewing Payton as an early-round pick, even if other teams do, but Burroughs sees positives in landing Payton, too, as long as it’s later on Day Three of the draft.
“Cole Payton fits the mold of the pseudo current-day NFL quarterback. He is hyper mobile and can deliver an accurate ball,” Burroughs wrote. “He has the skill to layer throws over the middle with precision. His lower body is smooth and fluid, and he can quickly flip his hips to escape the pocket. When he’s on the run, he is very difficult to take down.”
That said, Burroughs noted that Payton is landing “as high as a second-round pick” in mock drafts and is receiving consideration as the second-best quarterback in the draft after Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Payton played significant snaps at NDSU for years but only had one season as a full-time starter in 2025 when the team went 12-1 before the recent FBS move.
“When he runs a stellar time at the NFL Combine, he will soar up draft boards. This is a mistake,” Burroughs wrote. “There is a real chance he is the second or third quarterback taken, which is detrimental to any franchise.”
Cole Payton Receives Taysom Hill Comparison
Burrough likens Payton to New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill, who has also played quarterback in his NFL career with the team.
Hill has been known as versatile player on offense, capable of providing the Saints a spark through unexpected plays. His big size at 6-foot-2, 221 pounds has been a plus, but Hill also didn’t take over for Hall of Fame-bound quarterback Drew Brees when he retired after the 2020 season.
“He’s a fun player who could become Taysom Hill,” Burroughs wrote about Payton, “but there’s no starter-level, let alone backup, ceiling to his game.”
Payton used his size and speed and NDSU to bulldoze or slip through opposing defenses, and he finished with 1,919 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns. As a passer, Payton threw for 2,719 yards and 16 touchdowns versus 14 interceptions.
“Payton gets a seventh-round pick, as there are just too many questions surrounding him to warrant an earlier pick,” Burroughs wrote.
Hill notably went undrafted out of BYU in 2017. The Vikings could nonetheless find a late-round quarterback, such as Payton, to plug into the offense occasionally and provide an athletic spark similar to Hill.
The Question Cole Payton Couldn’t Answer
Payton’s college career at NDSU ended a year too early to answer how he would do in college football’s top tier, the FBS, before he entered the draft process.
It’s a common question for FCS standouts, but many players from that level have created strong NFL careers. Burroughs questions how things will translate for Payton to a significant degree.
“You have to wonder what Payton would look like at a higher level of play,” Burroughs wrote. “North Dakota State always operates at a higher level than everyone else, especially with talent on the roster, which plays a major factor.”
“We have also only seen one season of Payton as the starter, which a few starts doesn’t typically translate to success,” Burroughs added. “Payton holds the ball far too low for my liking. He has a very average arm, as the ball doesn’t really jump off his hand. Major concerns with going through progressions, as he constantly looks to scramble and pick up yards on the ground.”
Vikings Cautioned on ‘Hyper Mobile’ Quarterback Prospect