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Head coach Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears.
Former NFL tight end Clay Harbor has been a Chicago Bears fan his entire life, and he’s eyeing the team closely as the 2026 NFL Draft emerges.
Now an analyst for Chicago Sports Network, Harbor thinks the Bears should be the top landing spot for North Dakota State wide receiver Bryce Lance in this week’s 2026 NFL Draft. On the April 20 episode of the “Mully & Haugh Show,” Harbor made his case for why.
“The guy I really like is North Dakota State Bryce Lance. I think he could be a possible third rounder,” Harbor said. “Combine freak, I mean, 4’3, (40-yard dash) 42-inch vertical, 10’10 broad jump — those numbers are unbelievable.”
GettyFormer North Dakota State wide receiver Bryce Lance could be on the radar of the Chicago Bears in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Harbor, a Missouri State product drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round in 2010, spent seven seasons in the league with the Eagles, Jaguars, Patriots, Lions and Saints before moving into broadcasting, so he has been around.
“I called games this year for the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The first time I see this guy, … North Dakota State, I don’t know what they’re putting in their water,” Harbor added.
Lance, the younger brother of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback and former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance, followed his brother to Fargo as a three-star recruit out of Marshall, Minnesota, in 2021. He redshirted as a freshman and spent 2022 and 2023 mostly on special teams before taking over the Bison offense in his fourth year.
In 2024, Lance caught 75 passes for 1,071 yards and an FCS-leading 17 touchdowns on a national championship team. He returned for a fifth year, added a second straight 1,000-yard season with 51 receptions for 1,079 yards and eight scores.
He also had a stellar showing at the combine, which undoubtedly helped his draft stock. At 6-foot-3 and 204 pounds, Lance ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash, jumped 41 1/2 inches in the vertical and posted an 11-foot-1 broad jump for a 9.98 Relative Athletic Score. Only a handful of receivers in this class match his size-speed combination.
He had great speed, strong ball-tracking and a habit of winning at the catch point, all of which would give Caleb Williams a true vertical matchup on the boundary.
Chicago’s receiver group has changed a bit since last season. The Bears sent DJ Moore and a 2026 fifth-rounder to Buffalo last month for a second-round pick, Olamide Zaccheaus signed with Atlanta and return specialist Devin Duvernay left for Arizona. That leaves Rome Odunze, Luther Burden and veteran addition Kalif Raymond as the top three WRs. Second-year Texas A&M product Jahdae Walker is also in the mix.
Odunze, the No. 9 overall pick in 2024, finished with 44 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games before a foot stress fracture cost him the final five regular-season games. Burden, taken 39th overall last year, works primarily from the slot. Odunze has the tools, but he has yet to produce a 1,000-yard season, so adding another talented WR with size and speed makes sense.
The Bears have picks No. 57 and No. 60 in Round 2, and they pick again at No. 89, in Round 3. That third-round slot is prime territory to snag the 6-foot-3, 209-pound Lance, so he’s a top prospect to watch with the draft mere days away.
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