A year ago, one of the stars of the NFL preseason was undrafted rookie center Willie Lampkin, who was playing for the Rams and putting on a show, repeatedly knocking opposing defensive linemen on their backs. Unfortunately for Lampkin, he was injured before he could earn a roster spot, and the Rams waived him with an injury designation with the hopes that he would clear waivers and end up back in Los Angeles.
The Eagles, however, recognized Lampkin’s talent and made the rare decision to claim the injured undrafted rookie off waivers. That meant Lampkin spent last season rehabbing his injury and developing in Philadelphia, and now he’s impressing again in the preseason, with the Eagles.
Lampkin looked great in the Eagles’ preseason opener and is drawing attention in particular for one particular play: On a third-and-15 pass, Lampkin kept Ravens defensive tackle Broderick Washington far away from Eagles quarterback Andy Dalton. Some offensive linemen think their job in pass protection is done once the ball is thrown, but the tenacious Lampkin kept blocking Washington, driving him down the field and ultimately throwing him to the ground.
Lampkin was a starting guard for five years of college football, and at North Carolina he was a first-team All-American and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best offensive lineman in the ACC. With that kind of résumé, you’d think he would have been a top draft prospect. But at North Carolina’s Pro Day, Lampkin measured at just under 5-foot-11, and he weighed 279 pounds. NFL teams don’t want offensive linemen who are that small. Lampkin went undrafted.
His size hasn’t seemed to matter, however, as he’s routinely getting the better of much bigger defensive linemen. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said last week that every time he watches the offensive line practice tape, he sees Lampkin doing well.
“You’ve seen Willie continue to get better, and you notice him even more once the pads come on,” Sirianni said. “He has the ability to play center or guard, good versatility, smart guy, really athletic. He’s been fun to watch at camp. We find ourselves as coaches when we’re watching tape, just kind of being like, ‘Man, Willie did it again.’ And Willie’s getting some really good guys to go up against. So that’s tested every day, and we’re just looking for him to continue to grow and continue to show what he can do because it’s about consistency. We all want consistency, to have that steady growth of getting better, but you’re building trust, and I think Willie is building trust with his teammates because you build trust by consistently doing what you’re supposed to do out there, and Willie’s been doing that. I know not only the coaches, but we’re all impressed by Willie.”
Lampkin is tiny by NFL offensive lineman standards — something that was pointed out on the TV broadcast of the Eagles-Ravens game — but at some point, a player’s on-field performance has to matter more than his height and weight. Even if he’s shorter than 5-foot-11 and less than 280 pounds, Lampkin belongs in the NFL.
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