Scouting report for the North Carolina lineman, who projects as a late-round selection in this year’s draft.
Even with some moves being made in free agency, the offensive line remains the biggest uncertainty on the New England Patriots’ roster. The most prominent problem is at left tackle, but the potential issues extend beyond that one gaping hole in the starting lineup: the Patriots also could benefit from increased competition elsewhere up front.
The draft will be a golden opportunity to add such competition, with several suitable targets available on all three days. Among them is one of the most unique linemen in recent memory, North Carolina’s Willie Lampkin.
Hard facts
Name: Willie Lampkin
Position: Interior offensive line
School: North Carolina
Opening day age: 23 (1/22/2002)
Measurements: 5’10 6/8”, 279 lbs, 78 1/2” wingspan, 31 1/2” arm length, 10 1/8” hand size, 5.21s 40-yard dash, 4.7s short shuttle, 23 1/2” vertical jump, 8’8” broad jump, 18 bench press reps, 3.05 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
Colleges: Coastal Carolina (2020-22), North Carolina (2023-24)
Career statistics: 61 games (61 starts) | 4,122 offensive snaps, 2 special teams snaps | 43 pressures surrendered (3 sacks, 8 hits, 32 hurries) | 32 penalties
Accolades: Jacobs Blocking Trophy (2024), First-team All-ACC (2024), Third-team All-ACC (2023), First-team All-Sun Belt (2022), Second-team All-Sun Belt (2021, 2020) Freshman All-American (2020)
A two-way football player and state champion wrestler during his high school career, Lampkin was rated as a three-star offensive line recruit coming out of Lakeland. He decided to take his talents to Coastal Carolina over an offer from Appalachian State, and went on to start all 38 games he appeared in during three seasons with the Chanticleers.
Lampkin decided to enter the transfer portal following the 2022 season, moving one state north line to join the University of North Carolina. He picked up right where he left off, starting 23 games and being recognized as an All-ACC player in both of his seasons with the Tar Heels.
Draft profile
Expected round: Day 3 | Consensus big board: No. 192 | Patriots meeting: N/A
Strengths: Despite measuring under 5-foot-11, Lampkin has proven himself a competitive blocker throughout his college career. How has he managed to do that? By maximizing his low center of gravity against taller opponents and using his natural leverage and wide base to drop a firm anchor. It also helps that he plays a technically proficient game that reflects his background in wrestling: he has good balance and a powerful initial punch as well as a strong grip.
Lampkin’s feet also deserve mention. He is quick out of his stance as both a guard and center — his versatility to play both spots is an added plus — and redirects well without using any wasted steps. Moving well laterally, he is able to mirror in pass protection, serve as a pull, reach or zone blocker, and react to stunts, twists or second-level blitzes. In addition, he offers tremendous experience and has been described as a leader at UNC.
Idc where he plays I just want Willie Lampkin on my team pic.twitter.com/cOqoeiOrC2
— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) March 18, 2025
Weaknesses: We spoke about first-round prospect Will Campbell being an outlier based on some of his measurements, but Lampkin takes that conversation to another level. According to Mockdraftable, he is the shortest (5’10” 6/8) and fourth lightest (279 lbs) interior offensive lineman to enter the draft since 1999 and he also is well below average in terms of wingspan (78 1/2”) and arm length (31 1/2”).
All of that creates a razor-thin margin of error against NFL competition, which is better suited to exploit his shortcomings. He may be a technically sound prospect who moves well and plays with the right tenacity, but that can only take him so far if bigger or more powerful players are able to dictate their 1-on-1s due to his natural disadvantages.
Patriots preview
What would be his role? Offering starter-level experience at all three interior positions, Lampkin should be able to play both center and guard in the NFL. His uptick in competition from the ACC to the NFL will be significant, though, which makes it likely that he will start his pro career as a backup who will have to work his way into the rotation. Given New England’s uncertainty at left guard and center in particular, however, he will have a chance to compete for starter reps as a rookie.
What is his growth potential? Assuming he starts his career as a backup, the next step up for him would be to enter the starting lineup. His build will make it difficult for him to get to that level, but he has shown an ability of beating the odds all throughout his career. In order to do that, he might have to add to his frame and make sure to maximize his time in the weight room to stand a chance against NFL competition. If he can do that, he could become a starter at some point.
Does he have positional versatility? Between his time at Coastal Carolina and UNC, Lampkin played 1,712 snaps at left guard, 1,473 at right guard, and 937 at center. Besides being able to line up everywhere along the interior O-line, he also might be a candidate to see snaps at fullback at the next level: he has the size and moving skills to make it work.
Why the Patriots? Lampkin appears to be a fit for the team in several aspects that go beyond the aforementioned need along the offensive line. He would be a culture addition on and off the field, who also brings some intriguing positional flexibility and a technical foundation worth building on.
Why not the Patriots? Once again, it all comes back to his size. If the Patriots consider him too small for what they want to do on offense, they will not have Lampkin on their draft board.
One-sentence verdict: Lampkin is not your typical offensive line prospect, but given that all Day 3 picks are dart throws to a degree there is an argument to be made for picking him.
What do you think about Willie Lampkin as a potential Patriots target? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.