Forrest Lamp - Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Position: Guard
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 309
Year: Senior
Hometown: Venice, FL
Experience: Jr. - 4 year starter

Measurables:

40yd dash: 5.00
Broad jump: 111”
Vertical: 27.5”
3-cone: 7.55
20yd. Shuttle: 4.62
Bench Press: 34 reps

Career Notes:

After coming out of high school as a two-star recruit and redshirting his first season in 2012, Lamp went on to start on the offensive line all four seasons at Western Kentucky. Impressively he did not miss a single game in college, setting a school record with 51 consecutive starts.

After initially playing at right guard as a redshirt freshman in 2013, Lamp moved over to left tackle for the final nine games of the season and stayed there for the remainder of his collegiate career. As a sophomore Lamp established himself as a reliable left tackle, earning All-Conference USA honors, as the Hilltoppers went on to set single season passing records.

Lamp continued this success his junior and senior seasons. In 2015 he became one of the top left tackles in college football, earning First Team All-Conference USA and Second Team All-American honors, while not allowing a single sack and only 11 quarterback pressures. As a senior in 2016, he earned All-American honors for the second season in a row and became a two-time team captain. Lamp even scored a touchdown in his final game in college on a screen pass in Western Kentucky’s bowl game.

After a strong performance at the NFL Combine, Lamp has solidified himself as one of the top offensive line prospects in the draft. He will most likely make the move to guard in the NFL because of his height and arm length. He has a chance to get selected in the first round and should be the first guard off the board.

Injury Report:

Lamp did not miss a start at Western Kentucky in all four of his collegiate seasons. He also did not play with any serious documented injuries. However, he did injure his ankle early in the week at the Senior Bowl, causing him to miss the rest of the practices and the game on Saturday. Lamp did fully recover in time to compete at the NFL Combine.

Career Stats(click here):

Analysis:

Run Blocking: 4.0/5.0

While Lamp comes off the line of scrimmage with excellent driving power, it’s his quickness off the snap that really aids him as a run blocker. The majority of the time he gets his hands on the defender’s chest before the defender can counter, which allows Lamp to control him at the point of attack. Against Alabama, he moved the likes of Jonathan Allen and Dalvin Tomlinson off the line of scrimmage. Lamp does an excellent job winning the leverage battle, showing good knee bend and pad level as he gets up under the defender’s shoulder pads. His punch off the line also helps him knock defenders off balance. He also shows good explosion out of his stance and can get to the second level quickly.

Pass Protection: 4.5/5.0

As a college left tackle, Lamp’s ability to excel in pass protection is naturally the best attribute to his game. He drops and sets well in protection, moving his feet smoothly to get out in front of pass rushers coming around the edge. He held his own against Tim Williams and Ryan Anderson in the Alabama game, but also showed enough quickness to not get beat upfield by speedy rushers like LSU’s Arden Key. Lamp also plays with a strong base and natural knee bend, which helps him hold his ground against powerful bull rushes. When a defender charges straight into his chest, he sets his feet, reestablishes his base and absorbs the defender’s charge. He will get beat once in awhile on inside moves because he’ll overset to the outside and surrender his inside shoulder, but if he transitions to guard in the NFL he’ll be less susceptible to this pass rush move.

Play Strength:  4.0/5.0  

Lamp plays with a very strong anchor, which enables him to stonewall bull rushes in pass protection. His strong base coupled with his explosive punch off the snap allow him to knock defenders back on their heels, while also redirecting their progression to the quarterback. Lamp surrenders very little ground whether it’s in the run or passing game. He also shows good push off the line as a run blocker, and does a nice job driving defenders off the line of scrimmage once he locks his hands on them.

Agility:  4.5/5.0

Lamp displays excellent footwork off the snap. He quickly shuffles his feet in pass protection and he displays the quickness to beat speed rushers out on the edge. He also shows good burst when working to get to the second level in the run game and demonstrates smooth movement out in space in the screen game. He possesses very good change of direction ability and is an overall fluid athlete as an offensive lineman. Lamp seldom gets beat by speed on the edge due to his quick lateral movement and excellent agility.

Summary: While Lamp primarily played left tackle at WKU, he will most likely move to guard in the NFL. He’s one of the few offensive line prospects who can start immediately as a rookie at the next level. Lamp’s a unique blend of power, athleticism, and technique. He could be the first guard selected in the draft and has a good chance of going off the board late in the first round.

Overall Grade: 4.25/5.0  

If Drafted by the Packers:

After losing both T.J. Lang and JC Tretter in free agency, the Packers are in desperate need of a starting-caliber guard on their offensive line. Lamp would provide them with an immediate solution at right guard. His ability to excel in pass protection, as well as his experience blocking in a hurry-up spread offense would fit well in Green Bay.

Lamp’s versatility to also play tackle and center would give the Packers additional depth on the offensive line. With Tretter gone Green Bay could use another player that can play center just in case Corey Linsley goes down with an injury. Jason Spriggs and Kyle Murphy are not natural fits at guard, so selecting a player like Lamp seems like a must for the Packers in the draft.

For Green Bay’s offense to continue to have success, they need to keep offensive line a priority. The Packers had one of the top offensive line’s in regards to pass protection last year, and the loss of Lang could threaten this strength to their game. Lang showed he was one of the best guards in the NFL last season, and he will be difficult to replace. Lamp might be one of the few prospects in the draft who can even come close to developing into the same caliber of player as Josh Sitton and Lang.

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