PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles went to the North Dakota State quarterback well again, selecting dual-threat Cole Payton in the fifth round of the NFL draft Saturday.
The move comes 10 years after they drafted former Bison Carson Wentz with the No. 2 pick in 2016. Wentz's roller-coaster stint in Philadelphia unofficially came to an end when they took Jalen Hurts in the second round in 2020.
Now, Payton enters the equation during a season when Hurts is trying to recapture his Super Bowl MVP form while learning a new system under offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.
"Carson's a stud," Payton said, relaying that they share the same agency and have gotten to know each other a little bit over the years. "He really put NDSU on the map."
The left-handed Payton was the full-time starter for just one season at the college level. He totaled 29 touchdowns last season (16 throwing, 13 rushing) to four interceptions and completed 72% of his throws for the Bison. He also was North Dakota State's second-leading rusher with 777 yards.
His athletic abilities shined through at the NFL scouting combine in February. His 40-inch vertical jump tied the third best by a quarterback since 2003, and his 130-inch broad jump is second best by a quarterback over that span.
"There are some wild plays on his tape that are really impressive," coach Nick Sirianni said. "I think I charted like four times he jumped over somebody or wrote down a bunch of times, 'He's the best athlete on the field.' Big, strong. Really excited about him."
Payton joins a room that currently features Hurts, Tanner McKee and veteran Andy Dalton.
"Jalen Hurts is a winner, he's a competitor, definitely a guy I look up to," Payton said. "I'm so excited to pick his brain, learn from him and the rest of the room. It's going to be really cool to be under his wing and the rest of the guys, and I can't wait to learn and grow."
McKee is highly thought of in the building and served as the primary backup last season but is in the final year of his contract. He drew interest on the trade market last season, but the Eagles front office wanted to keep him on the roster.
"We feel really good about the [other] three quarterbacks that are here. We plan to have them here," general manager Howie Roseman said. "This has nothing to do with them. This was about staying true to the process we were going into, taking the best player available, obviously at an important position, and we'll let it play out."