The New England Patriots' receiving corps is largely similar to their 2025 group, but one major change is sure to affect them in a major way.
Stefon Diggs' release will no doubt affect the Patriots, as his 85 catches, 1,000-yard regular season leaves a major void to be filled. The top candidate to fill that void will no doubt be free agent signing Romeo Doubs, who recorded 55 catches for 724 yards and 6 touchdowns last season with the Packers.
Beyond Doubs, Kayshon Boutte will be expected to be a top deep threat once again. Mack Hollins, while the oldest player in the room, was one of the few players to be a strong playoff performer (129 yards in 2 games). Kyle Williams is a popular way-too-early breakout candidate, while Pop Douglas and Efton Chism III are slot options.
The room has untapped potential, no doubt, but adding another piece to ensure Drake Maye has plenty of weapons ahead of the 2026 season will be key. One way they could do that would be to add an under-the-radar star via the draft.
Bryce Lance is an athletic freak that could be a great addition to the Patriots' roster
Mike Vrabel's first draft as the Patriots head coach made it abundantly clear that he values athleticism. Will Campbell (88/99) and Jared Wilson (96/99) each ranked highly on NextGen Stats' athleticism scale, while TreVeyon Henderson, Kyle Williams, and Craig Woodson each had 4.4 speed.
If last year is any indication, the Patriots will likely target athletic freaks once again. If they want to do that, landing North Dakota State's Bryce Lance might be the best option.
Brother of Trey Lance, Bryce comes in at a ridiculous 98/99 NextGen Stats athletic score. He ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3, 204 pounds, and was top five at his position in every drill he participated in at the NFL Combine.
On the field, Lance has hit the 1,000-yard benchmark during each of the last two years, despite two different quarterbacks and his role changing significantly from 2024 to 2025.
In 2024, Cam Miller quarterbacked the Bison offense, throwing 33 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. He finished the year with over 3,200 passing yards with 351 attempts. Lance finished the year with 75 catches and 17 touchdowns.
In 2025, Cole Payton became the starter after Miller declared for the draft. Payton was a rushing threat more than a pocket passer, throwing 16 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. He had 126 fewer attempts than Miller the year prior, and Miller completed more passes than Payton attempted. Lance had 51 catches and 8 touchdowns.
A role change was not a problem for Bryce Lance
Despite a 32% drop in receptions and a 53% decrease in touchdowns, Lance finished the season with more receiving yards. His yards per reception shot up from 14.0 to 21.2 in a single season, good for 6th in the FCS. He was one of three players in the FCS to eclipse 1,000 yards and 20.0 yards per catch.
Lance stepped up as a deep threat when asked this season. He saw an uptick in deep catches (20+ yards) and receiving yards last season, with 160 more yards in 2025 than in 2024. His receiving rate jumped by 20% on deep balls, and he had a perfect 99.9 PFF grade when Payton targeted him downfield.
Admittedly, Lance could be a bit redundant to the players New England has. Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, and Kyle Williams are all massive pieces to New England's vertical offense. However, redundancy shouldn't mean the Patriots steer away from Lance, however.
Boutte and Hollins are both free agents at the end of 2026, and Williams may be pushed into a Stefon Diggs-esque role as a high-volume receiver.
The Patriots valued frame and arm length enough to select Ja'Lynn Polk at No. 37 overall while Eliot Wolf was the de facto GM in 2024. Wolf's role in the draft process is still somewhat murky since the acquisitions of Mike Vrabel and Ryan Cowden, but his title remains Executive VP of Player Personnel.
Lance is far more athletic than Polk, with longer arms and a bigger frame, two elements of a receiver that Wolf is thought to value.
Without a doubt, Lance was one of the most productive deep threats in college football last year. For a receiving corps that will have three players hit free agency at the end of the 2026 season, adding someone at the position via the draft will be key. The Bison may be the best player to add.