Are the Arizona Cardinals looking to grab a young QB in this year’s NFL draft? Maybe the question should be, which young quarterback are they drafting?
Maybe the best option is for the Cardinals to select a prospect, then let him sit for a year and develop. QB Jacoby Brissett has one more year on his contract, and if QB Kyler Murray remains on the roster, that is two experienced signalcallers who can teach and groom the young buck.
RELATED: QB DIEGO PAVIA INTERVIEW
At the Senior Bowl this week, six
quarterbacks dotted the rosters of the two All-Star squads. One notable name is Cole Payton of North Dakota State.
North Dakota State is a Division 1 FCS program. And a successful one at that, having won 18 national championships: 10 as a member of Division I FCS, and 8 as a member of Division II. Their football teams have won more games than any other FCS school founded after 1876.
This past season, the dual-threat Payton threw for 2,719 yards on 225 attempts with 16 TDs against just four interceptions. His completion percentage was 72.0%, which is amazing. He also rushed for 777 yards with 13 additional scores.
The kid can sling the football and is a tremendous runner, as he is very athletic. His accuracy percentage alone should be a consideration for a late-round pick, and the thought-process to develop and build up a project that runs like a gazelle.
This year, North Dakota State went 12-1-0 but lost in the playoffs. The year before, they were National Champions. Again.
Payton’s college accolades:
* 2026 NFL Scouting Combine
* 2026 Panini Senior Bowl
* 2025 Walter Payton Award finalist (3rd)
* 2025 Stats Perform FCS All-America first team
* 2025 FCS Football Central All-America first team
* 2025 Associated Press FCS All-America second team (QB)
* 2025 Phil Steele FCS All-America second team
* 2025 Associated Press FCS All-America honorable mention (AP)
* 2025 All-MVFC second team
* 2025 MVFC Offensive Player of the Week (9/29, 10/13, 10/27)
* 2025 MVFC Scholar-Athlete second team
* 2025 CSC Academic All-District Team
* 2022, 2024 MVFC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award
* 2022, 2023, 2024 MVFC Honor Roll
Payton also led his high school football team to a 31-5 record over three seasons, including a Class A state championship in 2020. All this guy knows is winning. He drew rave reviews from NFL analysts at Senior Bowl practices. In high school, Payton was voted the Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year.
In last year’s Senior Bowl, OT Grey Zabel was the darling of the offensive line, and then was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round at pick #18. Of course, as a rookie, Zabel is playing in the Super Bowl.
Revenge of the Birds staff writer Barry Shuck was at the Senior Bowl this week. He interviewed Payton at this event as one of six quarterbacks in attendance.
QB Cole Payton (6’-3”, 233 pounds)
North Dakota State
Projection: Round 4
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Shuck: What was your experience at the Senior Bowl?
Payton: No snow for certain. Has been an absolute blast meshing with these guys more and more. We have veteran quarterbacks, and the offensive line they have gathered for us are really good guys with a lot of talent. Throwing to these freak receivers has been an awesome experience. They are making our job easy.
Shuck: What you have shown on full display this week has proven that you belong at the next level. What are the things you need to work on?
Payton: Throwing mechanics are always at a premium for me. Keeping a nice space and not dropping the ball as much. Stepping up as a leader. There is no drop off from NDSU and is a special place.
Shuck: North Dakota State won another National Championship in your junior year. Is it harder to get to the championship game or return to the big game?
Payton: Our program is known for winning National titles, so it’s not like we are going to creep up on anybody. That second season, you have to have enthusiasm, energy, and emotion. That’s super motivating for us, and we just want to run through a brick wall to get back. Us leaders rally behind that, and the locker room rallies behind it, too.
Shuck: You are a very good runner. There are some in the media who are questioning your ability to play every facet of a quarterback. How do you respond?
Payton: I don’t write articles, and my play on the field is my only answer. I’m a quarterback. That’s why I came to NDSU to play quarterback, to be a leader, and to be an accurate passer and get the ball to the playmakers and get us in the right checks and the right calls. I am super excited to showcase that.
Shuck: What have you worked on most to polish off your game to where you are now?
Payton: Definitely, it starts with my throwing mechanics, improving my accuracy, and stepping up as a leader are the main things. But I also have to be myself. I study a lot of film, and that shows what I need to work on the most.
Shuck: What is the ultimate goal for you?
Payton: I think to continue to be a leader and keep the team focused. And that means being 1-0 in the next game, winning the division and then the conference, and learning from the ones who have been in the NFL for years and being that annoying kid who always asks a bunch of questions. The standard is to win the next level. The standard is always high. And for me personally, it’s just to reach my full potential.
Shuck: You broke your thumb on your throwing hand trying to recover a fumble in the second round of the FCS playoffs. How did it happen, and did you know right away it was broken?
Payton: I really don’t know if it happened when the ball got stripped. Maybe my thumb got hit weirdly as I was about to throw. Or when I got into that pile trying to recover the fumble, if my thumb got smashed somehow. There were a lot of big bodies in that pile, and I dove for the ball right away, so I ended up mostly on the bottom. Coming off the field, I knew something was wrong with it. Honestly, I thought I had dislocated it when I first looked at it. But the athletic trainer looked at it and said it was probably broken. Got an X-ray for good measure, and that was that. Had surgery shortly after the game.
Shuck: With the surgery, it wasn’t certain that you would be able to participate in the Senior Bowl. You could have stayed home and said you weren’t ready, but here you are.
Payton: Two weeks post-op, I felt good.I met with the doctor, the swelling had gone down, and the pain was good. I was able to move it more and more and was on track. Obviously, the Senior Bowl is among the most prestigious All-Star games for us college prospects. But I had the injury to my left thumb. I appreciate that the Senior Bowl is in late January. It gave me a little bit more time to heal and get ready.
Shuck: How would you write your own scouting report?
Payton: I think it starts with being tough and finding ways to stay on the field for my team. I keep the chains moving in critical third-down situations. That goes back to me definitely being a dual-threat quarterback. I can run the ball and throw it well.
