The Pittsburgh Steelers are desperate to find a franchise quarterback. So, as expected, they won’t leave any stone unturned in the 2026 NFL Draft.
That includes scouting FCS quarterback Cole Payton.
Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora wrote Thursday the Steelers sent quarterbacks coach Tom Arth and area scout Jim Ward to the North Dakota State Pro Day in Fargo, North Dakota.
The primary reason for Arth and Ward attending the Pro Day was to see Payton. During the 2025 season, Payton was one of the top signal-callers in the FCS.
Steelers Now’s Brandan Howe referred to Payton as a “dark horse” quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Payton finished third in FCS offensive player of the year voting while leading North Dakota State to a 12-1 record. A dual-threat behind center, Payton threw for 2,719 yards and ran for 777 last season. He also threw for 16 touchdowns with four interceptions while scoring 13 rushing touchdowns.
Steelers Scouting QB Cole Payton at North Dakota State Pro Day
The North Dakota State football play-by-play broadcaster Dom Izzo wrote on X that 25 NFL teams attended the Bisons Pro Day. A majority of those franchises visited for the same reason as the Steelers — to see Payton.
Last season was Payton’s first season as a full-time starter. He entered the lineup with the team trying to repeat as FCS champions.
Payton led the program to an undefeated mark during the regular season. The Bison suffered their first and only defeat in upset fashion during the second round of the FCS playoffs.
Still, Payton turned in an impressive season. He now has his eyes on becoming an NFL prospect.
“As a fifth-year senior, Payton set North Dakota State single-season record for pass efficiency (193.8), yards per pass attept (12.1) and total offensive yards per game (289.6),” wrote Howe.
Payton spent five years at North Dakota State. The program won two FCS championships — in 2021 and 2024 — while Payton was at the school.
Projecting Payton at the NFL Level
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has yet to make his final round projections for this year’s class. But it’s safe to say Payton is a long shot to become an NFL starting quarterback.
Zierlein placed him in the “average backup or special-teamer” tier with his prospect grade.
“Payton is a dual-threat, single-season FCS starter with good size. He’s a lefty with shoddy mechanics and subpar arm talent, but he still manages to deliver throws with touch to all three levels,” Zierlein wrote. “He lacks drive velocity to dot throws into tight windows and might not have the timing needed to outfox pro zone defenders, though. 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.”
With his running ability, maybe Payton could be a Taysom Hill-type at the next level. But he doesn’t appear to have the tools capable of being part of Pittsburgh’s long-term solution behind center.
Still, quarterback is so important, someone could take a flier on him. That’s likely why more than half the league was in Fargo to see his Pro Day.
Steelers Doing Homework on ‘Dark Horse’ 2026 QB Prospect