Scouting Profile: Willie Lampkin - OC - North Carolina
Sales Pitch: Experienced lineman with some of the best college blocking in the class. Poor testing and size make him a borderline draftable player despite excellent tape.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Willie Lampkin is a former 3-Star recruit from Florida. He started 38 games across all three interior spots in 3 seasons at Coastal Carolina, receiving All-Sun Belt honors in each campaign. Lampkin transferred to North Carolina for his final two seasons, allowing 0 sacks across 23 starts for the Tar Heels.
Lampkin is a squatly built lineman with a wide base and quick feet. A 5-year starter, he is extremely experienced with 900+ snaps at all three interior spots. He is a smart player who operates with ideal leverage and angles as a blocker, rarely getting caught out of position. Lampkin primarily wins with technique as a run blocker, with some of the best consistency through all three phases of any prospect in the class. He has the requisite quickness to get out of his stance and get initial leverage. with the short choppy steps to quickly get around and seal his target. Lampkin’s wide frame is difficult to play through once he gets into position.. His naturally low pad level and accurate hands allow him to attach and drive defenders much bigger than him. In pass protection, Lampkin has quick accurate hands that attach to rushers’ chest plates and disarm their moves. His broad base and solid wingspan forces rushers to go wide around him to get into the pocket. He is a sound pass protector versus stunts and twists as well, consistently picking up and passing off assignments without over extending.
For as good as Lampkin’s tape is, his lack of measurables make it difficult to project him to the next level. His size and weight are both bottom of the barrel and land in a range typically only occupied by Academy prospects in draft databases. Compounded with below average testing numbers it creates an uphill climb for a good player on film to get a shot at the next level. The biggest way Lampkin’s lack of size hinders him is his lack of length. Short arms prevent him from being able to lock out and control defenders to sustain run blocks. Longer rushers are able to get first contact and pry his outside edge open as a pass protector as well. Despite good pad level and a wide base he lacks the weight to quickly drop his anchor and protect the pocket versus power rushers.
Lampkin profiles best as a rotational interior lineman whose best spot is at center. A successful career would be a historic outlier for Lampkin given his size and testing, but the tape is good enough to warrant a Day-3 dart throw as a backup lineman and potential FB. Lampkin projects to be a fringe UDFA player due to his unique physical stature.
Final Grade: Fourth Round (Solid Backup w/ Limited Traits)
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