The Los Angeles Rams added one of the most unique players in the NFL after the 2025 draft in former North Carolina Tar Heels offensive lineman Willie Lampkin.
Lampkin was a two-year starter in college. He was a key to helping 2025 first-round pick Omarion Hampton (Los Angeles Chargers) lead the ACC in rushing in 2023 and 2024. The only thing holding Lampkin down is his height.
Listed at 5-foot-11 and 279 pounds, though, Lampkin is a “player to watch” for the Rams.
“The most uniquely shaped offensive line prospect in this class, Lampkin is one of the rare O-line prospects who stands under 6 feet (5-11, 279),” The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner wrote on May 2. “But the former wrestler used violent hands and natural leverage to be effective in college. If he were three inches taller, he’d have been drafted.”
“One thing we can agree on, the star when watching a Omarion Hampton run was always Willie Lampkin up front, right?” The 33rd Team’s Steve Palazzolo asked Lance Zierlein and Sam Monson on the “Check the Mic” podcast on May 1. “We were all on the same page watching that dude block.”
Zierlein raved about what he saw from Lampkin, a transfer who previously attended Coastal Carolina, on film during the pre-draft process, and it is encouraging for the Rams.
Rams OL Willie Lampkin Had ‘Best’ Tape
GettyWillie Lampkin garnered attention after transferring from Coastal Carolina.
Zierlein said he downloaded tape of Hampton to watch on a flight. However, nearly halfway through, his attention turned to Lampkin. He noted that Lampkin was small. Zierlein also recalled calling Tar Heels general manager Mike Lombardi.
“Not that he [Lombardi] cared, because he [Lampkin] was leaving. But I said, ‘He’s the best guard tape I’ve seen so far,’ and I’d already seen [Tyler] Booker. I’d already written up Booker, I’d written up Donovan Jackson, I’d written up all of them. I said, ‘The best guard tape,’ and that’s not hyperbole. The best pure guard tape,” Zierlein told Palazzolo.
“Everything that I could point to on my checklist I have here on the wall for offensive linemen, check, check, check, check, check. He checked him across the board. Had he been 6-foot-4, or even 6-foot-3 and a half, probably 312 pounds, he’s probably a first round pick. That’s how much, that’s how highly – and my guess is you guys, you couldn’t watch him and not think that highly. Like, oh my gosh. I’m watching a guy that’s punching way above his weight class.”
“With his wrestling background, Lampkin displays terrific balance, lateral quickness and agility, and he uses violent handwork to stay centered through engagement. NFL bodies will present a massive challenge each snap, but his refinement and finishing attitude will help him ride the bull,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote in April, calling Lampkin an “extreme size outlier.”
“The tape says he can get the job done with his natural leverage and stubborn hands. There isn’t much of a size comparison for him currently in the NFL, but he is accustomed to overcoming the odds.”
Palazzolo said he was “all-in” on Lampkin. He also said he would have used a Day 3 selection to secure him in the draft.
Zierlein said he would also have drafted Lampkin.
“I would have taken him in the seventh round to make sure I have him. We’re going to run him at backup center and fullback,” Zierlein said. “Because he’s gonna get on top of anybody he blocks, and they’re not gonna like it. He’s going to make that team over there at the Rams, so good for the Rams, good for Willie.
“I thought he might go in the seventh just because somebody said, “We’re turning him into our version of Patrick Ricard, and we don’t want anyone else to have him. I thought he might go in the seventh.”
Ricard is a 300-pound five-time Pro Bowler and one-time First Team All-Pro (2024). Moreover, he has doubled as a defensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens in his career.
Like Lampkin, Ricard was undrafted out of college.
Rams Lack Height, Could Boast Leverage at Point of Attack
GettyPoona Ford has something in common with new teammate Willie Lampkin.
Lampkin landing with the Rams is fitting. The team signed former Chargers, Buffalo Bills, and Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Poona Ford in free agency this offseason. Ford is also listed at 5-foot-11.
That means he faces similar issues as an interior DL as Lampkin does on offense. They also boast similar advantages, such as leverage.
Ford’s free agent profile reads strikingly similar to Lampkin’s from before the draft.
“A rarity as a sub-6-foot defensive lineman, Ford is coming off his best season after several strong years with the Seahawks. Built like a fire hydrant, he is a force against double teams in the run game,” The Athletic’s David DeChant, Jourdan Rodrigue, and Vic Tafur wrote in February. “He’s not known for his pass rush, but he did have some impressive quick pressures against quality guards in 2024 (including a cheeky spin move) and five batted passes.”
Now, Ford and Lampkin give the Rams one of the more unique duos in the NFL. That is, if Lampkin makes the team.
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