Colts to Meet With High-Upside QB Prospect Cole Payton

The Indianapolis Colts have their quarterback solution after re-signing Daniel Jones to a monumental two-year, $88 million deal.

However, even with Riley Leonard on the roster, Indianapolis is still keeping their eyes open for more quarterbacks. Per NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the Colts are visiting with former North Dakota State field general, Cole Payton.

Former North Dakota State QB Cole Payton is visiting the Colts today, per source. pic.twitter.com/gpvmb3t57R
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 13, 2026

Anthony Richardson Sr. is looking for a trade, and is highly likely to find it. This opens up the door for a possible quarterback addition to battle with Leonard for the backup spot behind Jones.

Like Richardson, Payton is an ultra-athletic quarterback with a cannon for an arm. As for his athletic profile per Kent Lee Platte's Relative Athletic Score, it perfectly fits the bill for Chris Ballard's draft trend.

Cole Payton is a QB prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.87 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 15 out of 1111 QB from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/7xavaCW8dn pic.twitter.com/jCf0wiRpUg
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 1, 2026

Payton played for North Dakota State for five seasons, but didn't see too much playing time from 2021 to 2024. But, for the 2023 season, Payton was used as a bruising runner.

However, his 2025 campaign was something to behold, and Payton was able to showcase his skills and what he can bring an NFL squad.

Through 13 games, Payton put up a stat line that would turn the head of any NFL coach, regardless of whether they're in the market for another quarterback or not.

Below is what the dynamic signal-caller produced in his last year with the Bison.

162/225 completions
72.0 completion percentage
2,719 passing yards
16 passing touchdowns
12.1 yards per passing attempt
136 rushing attempts
777 rushing yards
13 rushing touchdowns

Quarterback Cole Payton gets ready for NFL Combine drills. — Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton (QB15) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Payton is a wildly impressive athlete who can force defenses to rethink their approach. Two other notable NFL quarterbacks donned the Bison during their college days.

Those field generals are Trey Lance and Carson Wentz, the latter of whom the Colts know well from the 2023 campaign under Frank Reich.

While there's the slimmest of chances that Richardson doesn't get traded, it's essentially a foregone conclusion, especially considering the Colts are entertaining evaluating players like Payton.

It will be something to monitor when the draft hits Day 3, as this could be the area a player like Payton is drafted. However, the Colts have greater needs in the upcoming draft and don't have a first-rounder.

This makes the situation with Indianapolis giving Payton a chance to visit even more intriguing. Will the Colts take a chance and draft Payton on Day 3 if he's there? On paper, it seems like a waste of a pick.

But if Payton puts up an incredible showing, as the Colts have their eyes as close as ever on him with this visit, perhaps he'll find himself drafted.

I think the most logical move for Payton to become a Colts quarterback is if he somehow becomes an undrafted rookie free agent. Then, the Colts could swoop in and add him to the roster without using a vital pick.

Most teams are setting their sights on Round 1 of the NFL Draft on April 23rd. However, the Colts don't have that opportunity and likely won't try to trade into the first round, making their focus on Round 2 the next day.

This is a pivotal draft for Ballard, who must hit on at least three, or more, of his upcoming picks. Let's see how things shake up with everything on the line for much of the Colts' current setup.

Sign Up For the Colts Daily Digest - OnSI’s Indianapolis Colts Newsletter