There’s never been an NFL offensive lineman built like Willie Lampkin.
There’s about to be.
Lampkin stands 5-foot-11, 290 pounds. And when he made his NFL debut playing four special teams snaps in the Eagles’ opener vs. the Commanders, he became the heaviest offensive lineman in NFL history under six feet. That’s a distinction previously held by Terry Long, who was 5-11, 272, and played in 105 games for the Steelers from 1984 through 1991.
Now, for at least one week, Lampkin will be a starter. With Landon Dickerson not eligible to come off Injured Reserve until next week and Cam Jurgens now a Baltimore Raven, Lampkin will play regular-season offensive line snaps for the first time in his career.
It may be at guard and it may be at center. Lampkin and Drew Kendall are both natural centers who got reps at guard this summer, but one of them will have to start at left guard. Most likely it will be Lampkin because you would think they wouldn’t want to move a 24-year-old Kendall to guard when he’s just starting to play well at center. Although it’s easier to hide a 5-11 guy at center than guard. So we’ll see.
Either way, Lampkin on Sunday will become the Eagles’ shortest offensive line starter in 69 years, since 5-11 Abe Gibron started 12 games at left guard in 1957.
After practice Wednesday, Lampkin said people have always doubted him because of his unique frame.
“Yeah, you could say that,” he said. “There haven’t really been a lot of guys that’s my size playing offensive line. So it’s kind of like uncommon for people to just accept it.”
Lampkin began his college career at Coastal Carolina, where he played three seasons, before finishing playing for Mack Brown at North Carolina in 2023 and 2024. The Rams signed him last year as an undrafted rookie, then waived him injured after training camp intending to bring him back on the practice squad. They never got the chance. The Eagles claimed him and he spent his entire rookie year on Injured Reserve with the Eagles.
But an outstanding training camp put him squarely on the Eagles’ offensive line depth chart, and he made the 53-man roster as a backup interior lineman.
“I feel good, just blessed for the opportunity,” Lampkin said. “I’m just thankful for the guys, thankful for the organization. Just ready to work, ready to play. I was always ready, just waiting for an opportunity, blessed.”
Lampkin plays with tremendous strength and leverage that allow him to function at a high level despite his unusual build.
“I love Willie,” said 6-foot-9 Markel Bell, who replaces Lane Johnson at right tackle. “Willie is like my brother, man. He’s my big, little brother. Willie, we got the same kind of initiative, we got the same kind of drive. We just want it.”
Who’ll play where?
Nick Sirianni will never say – competitive advantage and all that – but Lampkin said he’s ready for guard or center.
“Wherever I need to be, that’s where I’ll be at,” he said. “I feel like a guard is just fun. You really don’t have to worry about it, you just come off the ball. At center, just leading the group. You know, you’re the quarterback of the o-line at that point, and it’s fun. You get to be on a lot of double teams, and you’re just like the anchor.”
This is the first time the Eagles will start three offensive linemen who’ve started four or fewer games in their career since opening day 1952, when center Ken Farragut made his third start and rookie guard Wayne Robinson and right tackle Lum Snyder both made their first career starts in a 31-25 win over the Steelers at Forbes Field.
This will be Bell’s second start, Kendall’s fifth and Lampkin’s first.
“He’s here for a reason, he made the team for a reason,” Jordan Mailata said of Lampkin. “The tenacity, his effort, he’s just like a little pocket rocket out there, he’s just so quick and explosive. That impressed me a lot. Very smart player. He knows how to play within his frame, what works for him and what doesn’t.”
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