We meet one of the most remarkable young men in the 2026 field of prospects: WR Bryce Lance of North Dakota State. The NFL Draft and Combine are but stepping stones to a playing career for college prospects. The former is out of their control, but they must not slip on the latter. Bryce Lance certainly did, as the scouting report shows.
North Dakota State WR Bryce Lance 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report
DOB: 08/20/2002 (23)
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 204 lbs
40-Yard Dash: 4.34s (combine)
College Production: 4 seasons, 127 receptions, 2,139 receiving yards, 27 total touchdowns in 57 career games.
Positives
- This WR class' top athlete. Posted a 9.98 RAS, 7th-highest in combine history for his position.
- His measurables are certifiably elite, including a blistering 4.34s 40-yard dash.
- Mobility and suddenness border on elite, despite his size.
- Great deep threat, with body control and tracking to make difficult grabs.
- Routes are better than expected for a player of his experience.
- Great hands for his whole playing career.
Bryce Lance is a remarkable prospect. Enormous, even, amongst a small pond of talented players in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. His combination of size and speed is rare, and the set of elite traits he exhibits make for an incredibly interesting player.
Negatives
- Massive questions about difficulty of competition.
- Only two seasons of production.
- No refinement nor salesmanship to his game. Plays a telegraphed game of football.
- Struggles against physicality early in routes, and off the line of scrimmage.
- Blocking is poor for his size and build.
Bryce Lance is a talented player but the flaws are daunting. With so little true production on his record, and so little experience, in tandem with the stunning lack of notable competition, questions are to be raised about his legitimacy as a prospect at all.
His game is unrefined, shown in his routes and struggles getting the small things right. It shows in his blocking, and lack of technique. It shows in his lack of creativity once the script is over. There are a lot of positives to be found in Trey Lance's younger brother, but whichever team takes him will find work needs doing.
Bryce Lance NFL Player Comparison: Marquez Valdes-Scantling
It's not perfect, but there are aspects of MVS' game that are too similar to Lance's to ignore. He is a long-striding deep threat who can excel in a play action scheme. He is made long and strong, and averaged 21.2 yards per catch in 2025. His impact as a rookie would be largely in this mold.
Lance's fit with the Buffalo Bills
As far as the Buffalo Bills are concerned, Bryce Lance would be a home run hitter. The team has recently found their prospective WR1 in a trade for Bears' WR D.J. Moore, but they need a fastball.
Route technicians like Khalil Shakir are a bitter herb on underneath routes, and physical boundary threats like Joshua Palmer provide true value. Even Keon Coleman should find a place on this roster. Adding Bryce Lance would take the top off defenses, and create the space to operate that the Bills WR core has desperately needed in recent years. He is arguably the ideal body needed to give Josh Allen the best WR group he's had in years - maybe ever.
Bryce Lance NFL Draft Grade: Round 3
The stat breakdown is not great if you solely look at totals - information without context always is. What it doesn't show you is that he did not play offense his first season, solely special teams. His second season was almost exclusively special teams also, catching only one pass for 7 yards. Those final two seasons, both totaling over 1000 yards apiece, and the pair of rushing touchdowns he mixed into the numbers make for a sudden and intriguing player.
Bryce Lance's flaws are notable, but his talent and physical attributes are undeniable. He will be drafted, and it will be earlier than his experience would allow. He won't be a first-rounder, despite his incredible and rare traits. For his trouble, he will be a late Day 2 draft pick; Much better than he could have imagined before his combine performance.