NDSU WR Bryce Lance Runs 4.34, Posts 41.5-Inch Vertical, Solidifies Draft Stock

Bryce Lance turned measurable athleticism into tangible draft momentum at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, running an official 4.34 40-yard dash, leaping 41.5 inches in the vertical and posting an 11-foot-1 broad jump while measuring 6-foot-3 and 204 pounds. Those numbers pair with a 2025 college mark of 21.2 yards per catch and position Lance as an FCS prospect who forced national attention at the combine.

Sporting News wrote that “Bryce Lance yes, that Lance has a chance to be a highly productive wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft class,” and noted he “showed out at the NFL Combine on Saturday in Indianapolis to make his case with some great testing numbers, particularly his 40-yard dash time.” Sporting News added that “one team is going to be very excited to draft him after this showing at the combine,” framing Lance’s performance as the kind that can lift an FCS prospect into early-round conversation.

The meet-and-measure sheet made Lance’s physical profile impossible to ignore: an official 40-yard dash of 4.34 seconds, a 41.5-inch vertical, an 11-foot-1 broad jump and a 6-foot-3, 204-pound frame. An original report called it “one of the most eye-catching athletic performances from an FCS prospect at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis,” and those raw metrics back up that assessment for evaluators tracking explosiveness and yards-after-catch potential at the next level.

Lance’s on-field production and roster decisions add context to the testing. Sporting News reported he averaged 21.2 yards per catch in 2025 and “turned down big money from the Big Ten to stay at North Dakota State for this final season,” a decision the outlet labeled “serious loyalty, which NFL teams will appreciate.” That combination of big-play college production and willingness to finish his career at NDSU elevates Lance’s development narrative for teams weighing scheme fit and coaching pipelines.

The Lance surname carries its own narrative freight. Sporting News noted Bryce is the younger brother of Trey Lance, who was the San Francisco 49ers’ No. 3 overall pick in 2021 as a quarterback out of NDSU and, the outlet wrote, “ended up being a total bust” and is “bouncing around as a backup QB now.” Sporting News concluded that “Bryce has a chance to make the Lance name a more notable one in the NFL,” and his Feb. 28, 2026 combine showing in Indianapolis gives front offices measurable reasons to believe that outcome is possible.

Teams that prioritize vertical explosiveness and contested-catch size now have a clearer template for how Bryce Lance might translate to the NFL. With official combine testing in hand and a 2025 production average of 21.2 yards per reception, Lance has converted pre-draft buzz into quantifiable draft value and forced evaluators to decide where an FCS playmaker with a 4.34 40 and 41.5-inch vertical fits on next season’s board.