The New Orleans Saints added a new wide receiver with a very familiar last name.
The Saints selected North Dakota State wide receiver Bryce Lance with the No. 136 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, making him the latest member of the Lance family to reach the NFL. Bryce is the younger brother of quarterback Trey Lance, the former No. 3 overall pick whose brief San Francisco 49ers tenure became one of the league’s most expensive draft misses.
That family connection is impossible to ignore, but it is not the full story for New Orleans. Bryce Lance arrives as a legitimate big-play receiver prospect after a highly productive final season at North Dakota State. He caught 51 passes for 1,079 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025, averaging 21.2 yards per reception. NDSU’s official bio noted that his 1,079 receiving yards were the third-most in a single season in program history, and that he became the first receiver in Bison history with multiple 1,000-yard seasons.
For the Saints, this is a Day 3 swing on size, speed and vertical ability. For everyone else, it is also a reminder of just how loudly the Lance name still echoes through recent NFL draft history.
Bryce Lance Gives Saints a Big-Play Receiver With NFL Bloodlines
Lance is not just a novelty pick because of his brother. He was listed by ESPN at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds, giving New Orleans a bigger outside receiver profile than the typical late-round slot flyer.
His 2025 production suggests a player who did not need high-volume touches to change games. Averaging more than 21 yards per catch is the kind of number that points to vertical usage, explosive-play ability and a receiver who can punish single coverage.
NFL.com’s draft profile listed Lance as a first-team Associated Press FCS All-American and first-team All-Missouri Valley selection in 2025, noting that he ranked sixth in the FCS in yards per reception.
That matters for the Saints because Day 3 receivers rarely enter the league as finished products. The question is usually whether they have one or two traits that can survive the jump. Lance’s case starts with size and downfield production.
The cleaner path to early value could come on special teams and in a limited offensive role while he adjusts to NFL corners. But if the Saints are betting on a receiver who can stretch the field and win contested chances, Lance’s college résumé gives them a real reason to make that bet.
Trey Lance’s 49ers Trade Still Hangs Over the Family Name
The sharper part of this story is the contrast between the brothers’ draft paths.
Bryce Lance entered the NFL as the No. 136 pick. Trey Lance entered as the No. 3 pick in 2021 after the 49ers made a massive move up the board. San Francisco acquired the No. 3 pick from the Miami Dolphins in a deal that sent out the No. 12 pick, a 2022 first-round pick, a 2022 third-round pick and a 2023 first-round pick, according to the team announcement cited by CBS Sports.
That is franchise-altering capital for any player, especially a quarterback who made only a small number of starts for the team that drafted him.
The move did not work. Lance battled injuries, lost ground on the depth chart and was eventually traded to the Dallas Cowboys in August 2023. NBC Sports reported at the time that Dallas acquired Lance from San Francisco for a fourth-round pick.
By March 2026, Trey Lance had re-signed with the Los Angeles Chargers on a one-year deal, with ESPN reporting that the agreement was worth up to $6.75 million.
None of that is Bryce Lance’s burden to carry on the field. He is a different player, at a different position, entering the league with drastically different expectations.
But it is part of why this Saints pick will get more attention than most fourth-round selections. Trey Lance’s NFL story became a cautionary tale about quarterback projection, draft capital and how quickly a blockbuster move can age poorly. Bryce Lance now gets his own chance to build a separate identity in New Orleans.
Saints’ Bryce Lance Pick Is More Than a Family Footnote
The Saints did not spend a top-five pick on Bryce Lance. They did not trade multiple first-rounders to get him. They used a fourth-round selection on a productive FCS receiver with size and downfield juice.
That context should keep the evaluation grounded.
If Bryce becomes a rotational receiver, special teams contributor or occasional deep threat, the pick can be a win. He does not have to become a star for the Saints to get value. That is the luxury of drafting a player at No. 136 instead of No. 3.
The spicy part of the pick is obvious: New Orleans drafted the brother of one of the NFL’s most infamous recent draft disappointments.
The football part is just as important: Bryce Lance gave the Saints a real receiver prospect with a strong college production profile and a chance to make the Lance name mean something very different in the NFL.
Saints Draft Brother of One of NFL’s Most Infamous Draft Busts