Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles appear to be excited about a lot of different things with the team’s 2026 NFL Draft. In particular, though, there’s growing hype around fifth-round quarterback Cole Payton.
The Philadelphia media has only added to the hype train. 94WIP has already been asking questions on social media about whether Payton could eventual replace starting quarterback Jalen Hurts.
But on Monday, Philly Voice’s Geoff Mosher threw cold water on Payton’s hype.
“Let’s all take a deep breath before we put Cole Payton in Canton. Yes, he’ll make the 53. Yes, he has incredible athleticism that could help him get on the field in some capacity as a rookie, maybe,” wrote Mosher.
“But there’s a reason his comp is Taysom Hill and not other actual athletic starting QBs. He’s very unrefined and needs a lot of work on his technique, carriage point and footwork. As noted previously, plenty of NFL teams wondered if he would fare better at an entirely different position.”
Projecting Cole Payton’s Future With Eagles
Mosher summarized it best with the Taysom Hill comparison.
Hill was electric at times behind center for the New Orleans Saints. He also filled a variety of roles in Sean Payton’s offense.
That’s something Payton might have to do as a rookie for the Eagles to justify four roster spots for quarterbacks. While two of their quarterbacks are potential trade candidates, Hurts, Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee will all be ahead of Payton on the depth chart this fall.
For those reasons, it makes a lot of sense for the Eagles fan base to have more of a “wait-and-see” approach with Payton than to deem him a future starter behind center.
But it’s hard for fans to be rational sometimes with high upside draft picks who have yet to see the field. The idea of potential gets the better of them.
Payton is an exciting prospect because of his upside.
“Payton is a dual-threat, single-season FCS starter with good size,” wrote Zierlein. “He’s a lefty with shoddy mechanics and subpar arm talent, but he still manages to deliver throws with touch to all three levels.
“He’s not shifty but excels when short yardage is needed and has build-up speed for explosive runs once he gets rolling.
“Payton projects as a QB3 and will require packaged plays to take advantage of his rushing ability until he proves himself a functional pocket passer.”
Payton’s Potential Rookie Role
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni took a “wait-and-see” approach when reporters asked him what role Payton could play during his first NFL season. Sirianni was highly complimentary of the quarterback’s skills, but he wanted to see him at the team facility learning the playbook before publicly declaring expectations.
Payton made clear, though, that he is ready for any kind of responsibilities.
“If that’s what the team wants, if that’s what team needs, I’m all for it,” Payton said to reporters at rookie minicamp, via Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski.
During his final college season Payton completed 72% of his passes while averaging 12.1 yards per attempt.
But he also ran for 777 yards with 13 touchdowns. Payton posted 6.7 yards per carry in 52 college games.
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