The Philadelphia Eagles aren’t shy about using late-round draft picks on quarterbacks to see how things play out — or swapping future late-round draft picks for former NFL starters or proven backups.
It’s a churn-and-burn approach to finding depth at the most important position on the field, and it can be pretty unforgiving. Which is something it sounds like rookie Cole Payton is about to find out.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay didn’t put much faith in Payton’s future on the Eagles’ roster with “realistic expectations” for every NFL rookie quarterback just 1 month from the start of training camp.
In Kay’s model, Payton ends up as QB3 for the Eagles in a best-case scenario. And that’s only if the Eagles make a long-awaited trade and send longtime backup quarterback Tanner McKee somewhere he might have a chance to start.
“Payton was one of the bigger rises of the pre-draft process, vaulting up boards after a single season starting as a dual-threat QB for North Dakota State,” Kay wrote. “He showed out at the combine, putting his 40-inch vertical and 4.56-second 40-yard dash on display. The Eagles were thoroughly tantalized by his size, athleticism and upside, enough to use a fifth-round pick and overcrowd a quarterbacks room that already contains Jalen Hurts, Andy Dalton, and Tanner McKee. The latter could be on the move soon, however, as McKee has drawn interest around the league as a potential starter. Because of the talent in that group, general manager Howie Roseman has revealed he may opt to keep four quarterbacks on the active roster in 2026 if McKee sticks around. That’s a nod to Payton’s potential, but he’s not going to be anything more than a QB4 as a rookie with those other players blocking his path up the depth chart.”
Eagles Have Embattled Starter in QB Jalen Hurts
No NFL quarterback’s reputation took more of a beating this offseason than Eagles starter Jalen Hurts — and only 1 year after he ruled over the league as the reigning Super Bowl MVP.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski predicted Hurts’ troubles running an NFL offense will only continue, and that Payton might actually end up being the quarterback of the future.
“Payton, whose physical profile matches (or betters) what the Eagles already have in Hurts, will develop over the next year or two, with the possibility of taking over the offense if he shows legitimate progress,” Sobleski wrote. “Philadelphia’s current setup is the ideal opportunity for Payton to supersede his draft status and eventually thrive in the Eagles’ offense.”
Cole Payton Has Size & Speed, Just Not Experience
Payton, 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, wowed at the NFL scouting combine by running the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds to go with a 40-inch vertical leap and 10-foot, 10-inch broad jump.
The bigger problem is that he was only a full-time starter for 1 season at North Dakota State. Payton left college with only 13 starts in 5 seasons, and all on the FCS level.
Hurts, by comparison, came to the Eagles in the 2nd round of the 2020 NFL draft with 42 starts across 4 seasons — 3 at Alabama and 1 final season at Oklahoma.
“Cole Payton from North Dakota State might be the third-best (quarterback) prospect,” The Ringer’s Todd McShay said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on March 24. “I’m not saying he’s there now, but a guy who could come in, kind of like Seattle was trying to use Jalen Milroe, short yardage, goal lines, play that role and develop into a starter. He’s mobile, he throws the ball well on the run, he’s deadly accurate, and it’s the weirdest thing because all of his mechanics look horrible, like tight upper body, south paw, all that.”
Talented Eagles Rookie QB Gets Bad News on ‘Realistic’ Future