Over the past two NFL Drafts, four small-school players have been selected in the first two days. One of them was North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel, who went 18th overall to the Seahawks in 2025. Expect more of the same in 2026, with another NDSU standout drawing serious attention: wide receiver Bryce Lance.
Lance’s 2024 season was one for the ages
Lance entered the 2024 season with barely a blip on the radar, logging just one career reception across three seasons. Then everything changed. He exploded for a breakout year, earning First-Team All-Missouri Valley honors, leading the FCS with 17 touchdown receptions, and recording 75 catches (second-most in school history) for 1,071 yards (third-most). His signature game came in the FCS semifinals against South Dakota State, where he torched the defense for six catches, 125 yards, and three scores. One of those touchdowns was a ridiculous one-handed grab with a defender draped all over him.
Unreal. Absolutely unreal.
— NDSU Football (@NDSUfootball) December 21, 2024
BRYCE. LANCE. pic.twitter.com/4FLaU44j3o
Lance's game is built on strength and physicality. According to Pro Football Focus, he caught 62 percent of his contested targets (16 of 26) last season. He’s not just strong at the catch point. He’s also a threat after the catch, generating 301 yards after contact in 2024.
At 6-foot-3, Lance combines reliable hands with natural body control. He dropped only two passes on 99 targets last season and consistently attacks the ball away from his body. His basketball background shows up in his ability to win jump balls and adjust to off-target throws. Whether it’s low, high, or in traffic, he finds a way to make the play.
The biggest question heading into 2025 is whether he can sustain that level of play now that he’s the focal point of the offense. Cam Miller, his starting quarterback, is now in the NFL after being drafted in the sixth round by the Raiders. Lance will need to develop chemistry with a new quarterback. Still, Hero Sports ranks him as the number one wide receiver in the FCS going into the season.
There’s still polish needed in his route running. On film, Lance struggles to snap off routes and create separation on timing patterns. NFL scouts will flag that. But NDSU coaches say it’s an area he’s working hard to improve, and if he can become more precise in and out of breaks, his ceiling gets even higher.
Lance’s 2026 draft projection will depend heavily on what he does this season. Another strong year should lock him in as a legitimate NFL prospect. He also needs to perform well in the pre-draft process, especially at the Senior Bowl and in drills like the 40-yard dash. If he checks those boxes, Bryce Lance has a real shot at going on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.