Bryce Lance Drafted 136 Overall to the New Orleans Saints
PITTSBURGH, PA (KVRR) – Bryce Lance heard his name called on day three of the 2026 NFL Draft Saturday.
The New Orleans Saints selected Lance with the 136th pick of the 4th round.
Lance capped off one of the most productive careers in Bison history with a dominant senior season in 2025. Starting all 13 games, he helped lead NDSU to a 12-1 record and a perfect 8-0 run through the Missouri Valley Football Conference, earning All-MVFC First Team honors for the second straight year. Lance hauled in 51 receptions for 1,079 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging a league-best 83.0 yards per game while becoming the first receiver in program history to record multiple 1,000-yard seasons. His performance earned him consensus FCS All-America First Team recognition and a 12th-place finish in Walter Payton Award voting, while also securing an invitation to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
Lance’s breakout came a year earlier during NDSU’s 2024 national championship run, when he totaled 75 catches for 1,071 yards and a school-record 17 touchdown receptions, tying the MVFC single-season mark. After limited roles early in his career—including a redshirt year in 2021 and primarily special teams duties in 2022—he steadily developed into one of the top playmakers in the FCS. He finishes his career ranked third in school history with 25 touchdown catches and eighth with 2,157 receiving yards, while also earning multiple academic honors, including Academic All-America recognition, solidifying his impact both on and off the field.
Lance is just the second Bison WR to be drafted in the Division I era, joining Christian Watson. Watson was selected 34th overall (2nd round) in 2022 by the Green Bay Packers.
