Willie Lampkin is making teams notice him again, and the Eagles are getting the benefit this time.
A year ago, Lampkin was one of the preseason standouts around the league while with the Rams, a rookie center who kept putting defensive linemen on their backs. That run got cut short when he was injured before he could lock down a roster spot, and Los Angeles waived him with an injury designation in hopes he would clear and return.
Philadelphia stepped in and claimed the undrafted rookie anyway, betting on the talent even while he was hurt. Lampkin spent last season rehabbing and developing with the Eagles, and now he’s back in the spotlight during another preseason push.
His latest eye-opening moment came in the Eagles’ preseason opener against the Ravens. On a third-and-15 pass, Lampkin stayed locked on Ravens defensive tackle Broderick Washington, keeping him well away from Eagles quarterback Andy Dalton. Most linemen stop once the ball is out, but Lampkin kept driving, steering Washington down the field and eventually dumping him to the turf.
That kind of finish fits the way Lampkin has played since college. He was a starting guard for five years, earned first-team All-American honors at North Carolina, and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the ACC’s best offensive lineman.
On paper, that should have made him a draft name. Instead, his Pro Day measurements at North Carolina told a different story: just under 5-foot-11 and 279 pounds.
NFL teams passed, and he went undrafted.
The size questions haven’t slowed him down on the field. He keeps winning against bigger defensive linemen, and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said last week that Lampkin keeps popping whenever the staff studies the tape.
“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’s frame stands out even more on television, where his size was noted during the Eagles-Ravens broadcast. But his play keeps forcing the conversation back to what happens after the snap. At some point, production has to outweigh the measurements, and Lampkin is making a strong case that he belongs in the NFL.
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