NFL Draft Profile: Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky
Forrest Lamp
College: Western Kentucky
Position: Offensive Guard/Tackle
Height/Weight: 6-4/309
College Stats: One receiving touchdown. A ton of pancake block and many great block that don’t fit on a stat sheet
You can talk about Brandon Doughty at quarterback, Tyler Higbee at tight end, Taywan Taylor or Nicholas Norris at wide receiver and say that they helped turn WKU from another CUSA program into one of the Group of Five powers. While they put up ridiculous stats for the HIlltoppers, none of it would have been possible without Lamp in the trenches.
Lamp, a Florida native, was one of the best linemen in the nation despite getting virtually no love from the national media. He has solid size, is impressively fast, can bench press a ton, and is basically a perfect prospect for the NFL. Lamp made his living as a left tackle in college, but is a perfect fit to move inside and play at guard for 10-14 years as a starter.
Pros:
Lamp is arguably the most well rounded offensive lineman in the draft. He could be taught to snap and play all five positions on the offensive line without struggle. He can play outside, but has a chance to be a stud at guard at the next level. Many scouts and experts about the draft compare him favorably to Zach Martin coming out of Notre Dame. All Martin did was start from day one at guard and make the All-Pro team as a rookie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1vBFZRXa0k
While many offensive linemen prospects from the Group of Five struggle at times when facing the best of the best from the Power Five, Lamp had no issues with the multiple pass rushers from the LSU defense. He almost seemed to toy with them, forcing the rushers to commit early and lose in impressive fashion. There has yet to be a player on the college level that Lamp looked overwhelmed against.
Cons:
Basically, Lamp projects to be a guard at the next level. He does not have the overall length that NFL teams covet, so he will likely be moved inside by whatever team drafts him. Otherwise, Lamp is a player that projects to step in from day one and compete or earn a starting job on the offensive line and hold it for multiple years.
Otherwise, maybe he is not as polished as a drive blocker due to WKU’s offensive strategy. He was never asked to drive block defensive linemen in the Hilltoppers scheme, so NFL scouts are not sure how he will grade at that aspect of the position.
Where will Lamp be drafted?
Lamp will be coveted by many teams that want some help on the offensive line. He is a stud at the college level that should easily step into a starting spot in the NFL. There are a multitude of teams that need help in the trenches, so Lamp should have no problem attracting a host of suitors.
Of the many teams that need help on the offensive line, a few teams seem to be really solid options. Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Indianapolis, and the Chargers all seem like very good options for Lamp. It all comes down to the choices of the teams in the #15, #22, and #25 picks in the draft.
I predict Lamp will be heading to the Midwest to join former Hilltopper Jack Doyle as the #15 pick of the NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.