Chiefs scouting report: North Carolina Tar Heels C Willie Lampkin
Every Willie Lampkin 1-on-1 from the Senior Bowl pic.twitter.com/wCk8UPeUjq — James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) January 30, 2025
The Kansas City Chiefs suffered setbacks along their offensive line in 2024 and made several moves this offseason to remake the position group. The team still needs to invest one or more selections in offensive linemen in the 2025 NFL draft.
North Carolina Tar Heels guard Willie Lampkin's trophy shelf includes a freshman All-American selection from 2020 and five all-conference selections, including first team bids in the Sun Belt and ACC. He's one of the most decorated guards in recent history but faces an uphill battle to play a significant role in the NFL.
Lampkin enters the draft with significant starting experience at left guard, right guard and center. He amassed more than 4,100 offensive snaps throughout his college career, and that experience translates to polished technique and quick processing.
Unfortunately, Lampkin is only 5'10 3/8", 270 lbs. That makes him one of the rarest historical outliers to enter the draft in modern history. Lampkin slightly redeems his frame with 32" arms, but his lack of size and mass cause some significant problems. He needs to throw his full weight into blocks to cause displacement, but defenders take advantage of his forward momentum and slip past him.
Lampkin plays with natural leverage and a wide base that he resets to gradually weaken and halt bull rushes. He plays with an aggressive, mauling mentality that sets the tone for the offensive line. His background as a former Florida Class 7A state championship wrestler shows up in how he grapples with and pancakes defensive linemen.
Lampkin attacks with excellent strike timing and strong hands that latch onto the defender and take control of the play. He uses advanced independent hand usage that makes defensive linemen look foolish. His lateral agility and foot speed help him mirror defenders and maintain the pocket.
Lampkin uncoils from his stance and drives power through his hips in the run game. His powerful leg drive generates movement against much larger players. He moves with the agility and fluidity to operate in a gap or wide zone scheme. Lampkin picks off linebackers at the second level and mirrors defenders in space.
Lampkin breaks all of the NFL's size thresholds. The league didn't draft UCLA edge rusher Gabriel Murphy last year because of his arm length despite him checking other thresholds. It seems unlikely that decision-makers will look favorably at Lampkin either. At best, he's a late Day 3 pick who will play fullback and see action in some scenario-specific packages.
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