The Arizona Cardinals have met extensively with North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton as they keep sorting through their quarterback options ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. Aaron Wilson, a KPRC 2 NFL reporter, said Arizona was one of three teams with which Payton had extensive meetings.
Wilson said Payton also visited the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts, and that he had extensive meetings with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets as well. The Cardinals have already checked in with four quarterbacks in this draft class, with Alabama’s Ty Simpson, Miami’s Carson Beck and Penn State’s Drew Allar joining Payton on the pre-draft visit list. That matters because Arizona enters the draft with seven picks — No. 3, No. 34, No. 65, No. 104, No. 143, No. 183 and No. 217 — and quarterback is one of its biggest needs, alongside offensive line and edge rusher.
Payton’s production is part of what has kept him on team radars. As a senior in the FCS, he completed 72% of his passes for 2,719 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 1,919 yards and 31 touchdowns across five college seasons, giving evaluators a runner’s profile that fits the modern backup conversation as much as his passing numbers do.
Dane Brugler drew a hard line on where Payton sits in the class. On April 9, Brugler said on Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta that Payton is “another one of those developmental guys that has a long way to go,” adding that the group falls into “early Day 3, fourth-round types” who probably are not going to become NFL starters. He still pointed to the appeal for teams willing to take a shot, saying, “But if you want to throw a dart, those guys would make sense.”
The Cardinals’ interest comes as they continue evaluating quarterbacks after using the No. 3 pick on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. With April 18 reporting and an April 19 update already on the record, Payton’s visit is the latest sign that Arizona is not done adding names to its quarterback board before the draft. For a team with enough picks to move around but not enough certainty at the position, the next decision is whether it wants a project, a backup or a player who can force a longer look.
