Key Highlights
- A position that the Bucs do not need, but the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons may go after in the draft.
- Because of that, we want to cover all our bases for those whom we may be seeing in divisional play or beyond. With that in mind, here is our report on North Dakota State's Cole Payton. InformationSchool: North Dakota StateConference: Missouri ValleyHeight/Weight: 6-3/233 lbs. Age when Drafted: N/APrevious Schools: NoneBackground2-Star RecruitPlayed baseball in High SchoolNebraska Gatorade Player of the Year2x FCS National ChampionNotable Stats and Points from CareerGames Played: 13Pass Attempts: 283Passing Yards: 3,190Yards Per Attempt: 11.3AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTotal Touchdowns: 52Notable PFF Numbers from 2025PFF Passing Grade: 95.4Big Time Throws: 28Time to Throw: 3.33Turnover Worthy Play Rate: 1.6%Average Depth of Target: 12.4Adjusted Completion %: 78.3%SkillsThrows with anticipation and leads receiversRefuses to lose, absolute gamerGood vision as a passerCan be accurate to all levels of the fieldI would argue he is the toughest guy on the fieldPlayer SummaryCole Payton is not going to be for everyone due to his lack of experience and pass attempts, and that is for good reason.
- One thing hurting J. J.
- McCarthy right now is that everyone is looking at his pass attempts in college, and Payton has fewer than he did.
- However, I think Cole Payton's arm may be better than McCarthy's.