Detroit Lions Hold Formal Meeting With NDSU Quarterback Cole Payton

The Detroit Lions held a formal meeting with North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, a session that NFL personnel sources say was mirrored by the Chicago Bears meeting with the left-handed passer. The meetings come as Payton closes a college career that included five seasons at NDSU and a senior-year stat line of 2,719 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Payton’s rushing profile underpins much of his draft intrigue. Across his NDSU career he rushed for 1,919 yards and 31 rushing touchdowns, with the bulk of that production coming before his lone season as the starter in 2025. Payton and receiver Bryce Lance connected extensively in 2025, completing 51 passes for 1,079 yards and eight touchdowns; Lance’s career totals cited in the process are 2,139 receiving yards and 25 receiving touchdowns on 127 catches.

Scouting evaluations on Payton blend clear strengths and recurring technical concerns. Evaluators describe him as having a sturdy frame, mobility, above-average velocity and the ability to fit throws into tight windows at short and intermediate levels. At the same time scouts flagged inconsistent footwork, an elongated release that can extend outside his frame and create a strip-sack risk, and accuracy lapses when he fails to step into throws.

Payton’s Senior Bowl week work drew national attention. ESPN’s Jordan Reid called him "Tuesday’s top performer" and highlighted a deep bootleg completion to Texas Tech’s Caleb Douglas, adding that "despite a long, loopy throwing motion, Payton’s timing was not negatively affected." That mix of flashes and mechanical caveats is why at least one outlet projects Payton as a potential Day 3 draft pick rather than an immediate starter.

NFL teams appear to be assessing Payton as a developmental option with specific schematic ways to unlock his skill set. Detroit’s roster picture leaves room for a developmental quarterback; Kyle Allen is currently listed as the only backup to starter Jared Goff, creating an opening for a team to add a late-round project. Analysts have suggested both the Lions and Bears could employ Payton in RPOs or designed run-package snaps to exploit his running ability while protecting him from heavy early dropback exposure.

Payton addressed his pro goals through reporting relayed by Fargo Forum reporter Dom Izzo, saying, "The NFL has been a long dream of mine" and "To keep putting NDSU on the map is a big deal to me and I’m super excited to go out there. I’m excited to change the narrative about my throwing ability and prove to everyone and myself that I’m a legit quarterback prospect." Payton’s Combine throwing sessions, including the reported possibility of working with familiar target Bryce Lance, will be watched closely as teams convert meetings into private workouts and final draft grades.