Big Blue View
Will Lampkin get the chance to succeed?
University of North Carolina interior offensive lineman Willie Lampkin is going to be absolutely fascinating to follow at the NFL level.
He is an undeniably effective lineman on the field who very rarely loses his match-ups. However, he also falls far outside the NFL’s usual range for height and weight for an offensive lineman.
But one of the enduring lessons from scouting is that size is not a skill set. Size is a trait, and how prospects make use of their traits often determines their success (or failure) in the NFL. Players who fall outside of the NFL’s usual parameters can often turn their unusual traits into potent advantages if their team is willing to take a chance.
Which team will give Lampkin the chance to show what he can do in the NFL?
Prospect: Willie Lampkin (53)
Games Watched: vs. Miami (2023), vs. Clemson (2023), vs. Minnesota (2024), vs. Virginia (2024)
Height: 5-foot 10⅜ inches
Weight: 270 pounds
Arm length: 32 inches
Hand size: 10⅜ inches
Best traits
Lampkin is a compact bowling ball of a guard who’s an absolute leverage monster with plus quickness and agility, as well as solid play strength.
He has a very unorthodox build at 5-foot 10 ⅜ inches, 270 pounds, but he uses his short stature to play with consistently excellent leverage. That allows him to maximize his play strength and consistently match up against, stalemate, and beat defenders who are half a foot and 50 pounds heavier. Lampkin combines that height with a very wide base – his feet are often nearly as wide as his height when anchoring – to make him very difficult to move.
Lampkin has great feet to go with solid quickness and agility, and uses his feet well to mitigate bull rushes. He uses short, choppy steps to position himself well to counter defenders while always putting himself in position to anchor or re-anchor. His footwork allows him to mirror athletic rushers on the interior, easily redirecting to pick up stunts, twists, or late pressure.
He is a solid – if not dominant – run blocker and is able to execute both man and zone blocking schemes. Lampkin plays with great competitive toughness to sustain his blocks and he’s willing to block multiple defenders over the course of the play.
Lampkin is an experienced player who spent three years at Coastal Carolina University before transferring to North Carolina, and that experience shows itself in how he responds on the field. Lampkin is rarely surprised by pressure packages, and also understands how to position himself to maximize his leverage. He understands how to use half-man leverage to seal off running lanes, as well as cut off rushers to maintain the integrity of the pocket. He also understands how to use his hands independently and there are even instances of him blocking two defenders at the...
