Brother of recent top-3 pick sent Giants a stunning 9.98 message at Combine

I'm not necessarily a big "I told you so" guy, but if the shoe fits...

Before the NFL Combine started, I wrote an article about four offensive prospects New York Giants fans should keep an eye out for over the weekend:

• Brenen Thompson, WR - Mississippi State
• Max Iheanachor, OT - Arizona State
• Emmanuel Pregnon, IOL - Oregon
• Bryce Lance, WR - North Dakota State

Each prospect had their own reasons for being on the list, but the most intriguing name of the bunch was Bryce Lance. If the last name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s the younger brother of former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance, who was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2021.

Like his older brother, he took his talents to the FCS at North Dakota State. Before the festivities, he was viewed as a mid-to-late Day 3 pick. Afterward, good luck finding a mock draft that has the 6-foot-3, 204-pounder slipping out of the fourth round. Calling it an impressive showing almost undersells it. He did about as much as you possibly could to boost your stock in one weekend. You’d have known that if you kept an eye on him like I told you to.

Bryce Lance may have just RAS’d his way into Giants’ draft conversation

All kidding aside, Lance turned in quite the performance, scoring an elite 9.98 RAS (Relative Athletic Score), ranking seventh among 3,844 wide receivers since 1987:

Lance builds up to his top speed quickly, eats up space with his long strides, and tracks the ball in the air naturally. When he gets even a half-step, it’s usually over for DBs. He’s comfortable near the sideline and routinely makes plays on the ball. There’s some juice there, not just in-shorts numbers.

He’s not some fully polished route technician yet, and stronger corners are going to try to knock him off schedule. The jump from FCS competition to the NFL is a fair concern. But if you’re looking for a big outside receiver who can stretch the field and hit a couple of chunk plays a game, Lance is your guy. He may never be a game-changer, but he could become a valuable rotational piece with some upside for a bigger role.

As for the rest of the guys I told you to watch, Pregnon posted a 9.42 RAS, ranking 103rd out of 1,748 guards. Iheanachor came in even higher with a 9.91, 14th out of 1,512 offensive tackles. And Thompson hit 23.95 mph on his 4.26-second 40, the seventh-fastest top speed recorded at the event since 2023.

The Giants need receiver help wherever they can find it. If they choose to wait until Day 3, Lance could make a lot of sense. But don’t be surprised if his Combine performance baits another team into grabbing him earlier than expected.