North Dakota State Pro Day Draws Nearly Two Dozen NFL Clubs for Payton, Lance

Nearly two dozen NFL clubs descended on Fargo on Wednesday to watch North Dakota State's top draft prospects put their skills on display, with quarterback Cole Payton and wide receiver Bryce Lance drawing the bulk of the attention at the Bison's Pro Day.

Pittsburgh was among the clubs represented at the workout, underscoring the legitimate NFL interest surrounding a program that has long served as one of the sport's most reliable pipelines from the FCS level to professional rosters. The sheer volume of scouts and front-office personnel in attendance reflected how seriously the league has taken NDSU's top prospects heading into this draft cycle.

Payton enters the evaluation process as one of the most statistically decorated quarterbacks in recent FCS history. His 2025 season produced four single-season program records, a body of work that positioned him as a legitimate NFL commodity well before Pro Day added measurables to the resume. That kind of verifiable production, accumulated against FCS competition but at a volume and efficiency that demanded professional attention, made him the centerpiece of Wednesday's workout.

Lance, meanwhile, gave scouts another reason to make the trip. The wide receiver's combination of production alongside Payton created a natural pairing that allowed NFL evaluators to assess both players in a familiar context, watching the chemistry they built throughout the season translate into a controlled workout setting.

North Dakota State has sent a steady stream of players to NFL rosters over the past decade and a half, most famously Trey Lance, who went third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft after a similarly scrutinized pre-draft process. The program's track record gives scouts reason to trust what they see from Bison prospects, and Wednesday's turnout suggested that trust remains intact.

For Payton especially, the day represented a chance to let production speak louder than the FCS label that has historically caused some evaluators to discount players from outside the Power Four. With nearly every team in the league watching, he had the audience to make that case directly.