Silver And Black Pride
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’3
Weight: 233
Stats: 2025 (10 games) – 72%, 2127 yards, 11 TD, 4 INT, 109 attempts, 771 yards, 11 touchdowns.
Class/Age: RS Senior, 22
Team: North Dakota State
Payton is a fascinating player, he’s struggled to see the field a ton through his time at NDSU with Trey Lance and Cam Miller being the two headliners at QB with Payton coming in at times mainly as a runner. He holds an exceptional frame for a quarterback and has a few traits to supplement that as well. Payton has a good arm, he throws with a tight compact motion that’s quick and highly repeatable which allows him to generate exceptional velocity on his pass attempts. Additionally, Payton has shown a good ability to put touch on his attempts and shows the ability to complete NFL caliber throws in hole shots and back shoulder attempts. He’s your traditional gunslinger at QB who’s willing to take the risk downfield and does trust himself enough to put the ball in between defenders for his receiver. Payton throws with anticipation and throws to create separation as well, showing a good understanding for ball placement in front of the receiver. The senior QB has clearly learned the mental traits through his time in college and shows the ability to read defenders, look defenders off using his eyes, and also complete progressions through pressure. Payton is good under pressure showing the ability to hang in the pocket and not rush his rhythm which allows him to consistently make plays. He shows a good understanding for the pocket with the ability to step up into space, move laterally and extend plays outside the pocket where he does a good job looking downfield to find an open receiver. Payton is a very notable rushing threat, he’s an athlete with true speed at the position along with above average acceleration, vision, and strength to fight for yardage.
Payton has some issues with his footwork and he’ll often struggle at times to recorrect which can lead to an errant throw or two. Additionally, Payton has a tendency to stare down his target which does lead to interceptions, mainly on comeback and quick throws over the middle which results in a play on the ball. Despite a good understanding for the pocket, Payton will need to get better at knowing when to throw the ball away as he can tend to play “hero ball” at times and either force the ball into a bad window, take an unnecessary sack, or try to run when he has no space to do so. Payton will have to learn how to throw the ball away and when to try and make a play in order to have consistent long term NFL success. The senior does have an issue at times with the ball trailing away from receivers due to his footwork which can be corrected in the NFL. Payton doesn’t have a ton of experience as a...
