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Forrest Lamp, OL, Western Kentucky scouting report – 2017 NFL Draft

By Sayre Bedinger

Sep 10, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers offensive lineman Forrest Lamp (76) blocks Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Tim Williams (56) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers offensive lineman Forrest Lamp (76) blocks Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Tim Williams (56) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 3, 2016; Bowling Green, KY, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers offensive lineman Forrest Lamp (76) celebrates his teams victory following the CUSA championship game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. Western Kentucky won 58-44. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2016; Bowling Green, KY, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers offensive lineman Forrest Lamp (76) celebrates his teams victory following the CUSA championship game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. Western Kentucky won 58-44. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /

Weaknesses/Areas of Concern

What’s the catch with a guy like Lamp? Why isn’t he being talked about as a top five pick if he’s been so good for three straight seasons?

The projection to guard, while a testament to Lamp’s potential versatility, is also due to the fact that Lamp’s arm length is shorter than ideal for a tackle. Among offensive linemen in general, his arm length (32 1/4 inchces) puts him in the ninth percentile of all offensive linemen recorded in the NFL.

Zack Martin, mentioned above, had an arm length of 32 7/8 inches. Brandon Scherff, another elite left tackle in college that made the transition to guard in the NFL, had an arm length of 33 3/8 inches. By comparison, Tyron Smith, a freak of nature and one of the elite left tackles in the NFL, has arm length of 36 3/8 inches.

There is precedence for Lamp if he wants to start at left tackle, though. Joe Thomas, largely considered the best left tackle in football over the last decade, had an arm length of 32 1/2 inches when he was drafted. Jake Long, the top overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, had an arm length of 32 7/8 inches.

I say all this to simply say that I don’t think arm length would prevent Forrest Lamp from being a good tackle in the NFL, but there are other players with similar athletic traits and arm length that have paved the way, showing Lamp that there’s big money to be made at guard in the NFL these days.

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