Tag: NDSU Football

2022 NFL draft: Christian Watson scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about North Dakota State wide receiver prospect Christian Watson

It isn’t very often that a 6-4 wide receiver goes out and runs a sub 4.3 40-yard dash, but that’s exactly what North Dakota State’s Christian Watson did at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. Watson will look to carry over that impressive physical profile and excellent production to the pros, as he enters the 2022 NFL draft.

Here is everything you need to know about this play-making Bison:

WATCH: NDSU WR Christian Watson crushes broad jump at NFL combine

North Dakota State wide receiver Christian Watson continues to improve his draft stock throughout the offseason

The 2022 NFL draft is loaded with talented pass-catchers, and one who just keeps moving up the board is North Dakota State’s Christian Watson.

After an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl, Watson is keeping a good thing going at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, showing off his explosiveness with a broad jump of 11 feet, four inches.

Watson came into this week as a Day 2 lock in this year’s deep receiver class, but he’ll keep inching toward the first-round conversation if he keeps this up.

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North Dakota State QB Trey Lance declares for 2021 NFL Draft

North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance is leaving school early to enter the 2021 NFL Draft

In the least surprising news of the college football season, North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance is making the early jump to the pros following his one-night-only showcase game Satuday.

Lance will be declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft, he told Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel:

It’s a little bit mind-boggling for me. It’s been a heck of a ride for the last year. I’ve learned a ton, I’ve grown a ton as a person and a football player. I honestly have to give all the credit to the guys around me, to the strength staff and coaching staff and guys I’ve played with.

This was the hardest decision I ever had to make in my life, without a doubt. It comes down to me feeling ready and praying about it as much I can and feeling like I have a solid handle on everything.

Just a reshirt sophomore with little more than one season of starting experience under his belt, Lance tossed 28 touchdowns and no interceptions as a redshirt freshman for the Bison. In Saturday’s game against Central Arkansas, he struggled as a passer for much of the first three quarters, but excelled on the ground and led a comeback victory in the second half.

Though he’s certain to face many questions about his lack of experience and level of competition, Lance’s physical tools and limitless upside should make him a first-round pick in next year’s draft.

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WATCH: NDSU OT Dillon Radunz gets post-game Senior Bowl invite

North Dakota State offensive tackle Dillon Radunz got a big surprise after Saturday’s win over Central Arkansas

The only game of the 2020 college football season for North Dakota State was a 39-28 victory over Central Arkansas on Saturday, and it brought some good news for one of their top NFL draft prospects.

Offensive tackle Dillon Radunz got a post-game surprise in the locker room after the game, receiving the news that he’s been invited to the 2021 Senior Bowl.

The premier all-star game for top NFL prospects who have already received their college degrees, the Senior Bowl has proven to be a huge opportunity for smaller-school prospects like Radunz to boost their stock with pro scouts. It did so for another Bison alumni in quarterback Carson Wentz, who parlayed his performance in Mobile into being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Watch Radunz react to the surprise:

Already one of the top offensive tackle prospects in next year’s class, a strong showing in Mobile next year would solidify him in as a first-round talent in the 2021 class.

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Trey Lance’s showcase game leaves more questions than answers

North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance is still a mystery for NFL teams after his only game of the 2020 season

North Dakota State’s only game of the 2020 season was supposed to be a chance for quarterback Trey Lance to show off for NFL scouts, proving he can be a franchise quarterback at the next level.

His performance is likely to leave pro teams perhaps even more puzzled with his evaluation than they were before.

In Saturday’s 39-28 win over Central Arkansas, Lance excelled as a runner, racking up 143 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 rushing attempts, including an impressive 54-yard score.

As a passer, things were far less rosy for Lance, who needed a strong fourth quarter just to finish the game with as many completions as incompletions. Lance completed 15 of his 30 passes for just 149 yards, adding two more touchdowns through the air. He also threw the first interception of his college career, after going the entire 2019 season without one.

Sure, there were some positives, and there are obviously some mitigating circumstances NFL decision-makers will surely keep in mind when evaluating Lance’s tape from this game. But no matter how you slice it, Lance looked rough as a passer for much of this game, and his prowess as a runner won’t overshadow that as pro teams decide whether or not they can trust him with the future of their franchise come next April.

Lance and the Bison were supposed to open this season against Oregon, and if he’d turned in this kind of performance against a successful Power 5 program in one of the nation’s most hostile road environments, it would’ve been a bit more understandable. Instead, it came against a fellow FCS opponent, in his home stadium, with minimal attendance.

Yes, it’s only one game. But it’s the only game Lance is gonna get this season, and regardless of how fair that is, his only chance to impress pro scouts in a real-game environment won’t do his draft stock any favors.

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Trey Lance will get one game to show off for NFL scouts in 2020

North Dakota State will play Central Arkansas in October, giving quarterback Trey Lance a showcase game heading into the 2021 NFL Draft

North Dakota State is giving their promising quarterback prospect one game to show off for NFL scouts this season.

The Bison announced Monday that they will play a single game this fall, an October 3rd date with Central Arkansas:

The Missouri Valley Conference in which NDSU plays has cancelled their 2020 schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Bison appear to be making their own plans for a one-night-only showcase for quarterback Trey Lance.

Lance is widely regarded as a potential first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, coming off a redshirt freshman season in which he threw for 28 touchdowns and no interceptions. Bison offensive tackle Dillon Radunz is also a potential first-round prospect in this year’s class, and this game will give him a similar opportunity to show off for pro scouts just one more time before the predraft process begins.

Speaking of those scouts, it appears NDSU is planning to let them attend, per NFL.com’s Chase Goodbread:

From a draft perspective, it’s unlikely Lance will show scouts anything in this game that they haven’t already seen in his film from last season. They already know he can carve up FCS competition, but the real question will be what happens when he goes up against a defense full of NFL-caliber prospects.

As a redshirt sophomore, Lance won’t get the same opportunity former Bison star Carson Wentz got at the Senior Bowl before becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

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