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2026 NFL Draft scouting report: Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State
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- 2026 NFL Draft scouting report: Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State
When it comes to scouting, the real money is to be made by finding those day two and day three prospects and developing them into starters with upside. Finding raw players with major athleticism on offense is a great place to start, and NFL teams may not have to look further than North Dakota State's Bryce Lance. With only two years of starting experience but tons of production, could he be a steal in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Let's talk about it.
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Lance, a former three-star recruit out of Marshall High School in Marshall, Minnesota, followed in his brother Trey's footsteps and went to North Dakota State, but the path to starting wasn't easy. He would redshirt in 2021, play special teams in 2022, and catch one pass in 2023. However, it all changed in 2024, when he exploded for 75 receptions, 1,071 yards, and 17 touchdowns. In the Playoffs that season, he would snag another seven touchdowns, helping win a national title. He'd follow that up with 51 receptions for 1,079 yards and eight touchdowns this past season.
Bryce Lance is a testing marvel. His RAS (Relative Athletic Score) of 9.98 is the seventh-highest in history, if you hold a lot of stock in that. But it speaks to his freaky athleticism. 4.34 40-yard time at the combine was the star of the show. It shows up on tape, too, as he flies on go and post routes. His ability to track the ball, paired with his massive 6'3 frame, gives him a huge catch radius. He's your red zone target who can also take the top off to get you there. Two drops this past season speak to how reliable his hands are, over 99 targets. Great hips to pop off routes with clean breaks.
His speed may have worked at the FCS level to beat press coverage, but if he wants to excel in the NFL, he is desperately going to need to work on his release. Lance needs to develop his route tree further, as he is currently viewed more as a two-trick pony. He has a nice base to the tree, just needs to grow the branches. NFL teams are going to question both the competition level and the small sample size, too. Struggles in run blocking, too, which would help him see the field early.
Bryce Lance is one of my favorite mid-to-late round dart throws. He has the ceiling of name-brand Alec Pierce, which is a compliment, given the extension Pierce just earned. If he developed a mid-level game, he could turn into a gem. Lance gets a third-round grade , leaning heavily on projection and long-term outlook rather than what we have to work with now.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: 2026 NFL Draft scouting report: Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State
