North Dakota State QB Cole Payton Visiting Colts Monday

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports the Colts are hosting North Dakota State QB Cole Payton for a top-30 visit on Monday.

This is Payton’s second reported top-30 visit, as he met with the Steelers already, per Brian Batko.

Teams can host up to 30 players for interviews and medical evaluations at their own facilities, with players who live or go to college in the local area not counting toward that limit. These are often colloquially referred to as “top 30 visits” although they’re not necessarily the top 30 players on a team’s board.

Payton, 23, was a two-star recruit in the 2021 recruiting class out of Omaha, Nebraska. He committed to North Dakota State and remained there for five seasons before becoming a starter in his final year. 

Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Payton as the fifth-best QB in the class with a fourth-round grade.

In his collegiate career, Payton completed 70.3 percent of his pass attempts for 3,190 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed 287 times for 1,919 yards (6.7 YPC) and 31 touchdowns.

For more ahead of the draft, check out our 2026 NFL Draft Visit Tracker.