Pre-Draft Film Breakdown: A closer look at Western Kentucky guard Forrest Lamp

This is the third in a series of film breakdowns of players that the Dolphins could draft with the 22nd overall pick next week.

Part 1: Haason Reddick.

Part 2: Jordan Willis.

The Dolphins know what you’re thinking:

Not again!

They couldn’t dream of using a first-round draft pick on an offensive lineman for the fourth time in seven years, could they?

They won’t ignore defense, their most glaring need again, right?

The criticism is valid. But it might be missing the point.

Or two points:

1. Dolphins general manager Chris Grier insisted Wednesday that he will not sacrifice his board for need.

And 2. Guard Forrest Lamp very well could be the best player available at 22.

“I think with us through the evaluation process with our scouts – with Adam Engroff, Joe Schoen and the rest of the college scouts and then dealing with coach [Chris] Foerster and Chris Kuper – if a guy is a good player and he’s there and we’re comfortable with everything in terms of the football intelligence, the toughness, the passion for the game, we’ll take him,” Grier said. “You always hear, ‘You can always find offensive linemen and guards especially, late in the draft.’ But I think if you pass up on Larry Allen sitting there in the second round or something because you think you’ll get him later, that’s a huge mistake.”

Now, no one is saying Lamp is a Hall of Famer like Allen.

But he’s really good.

Like Zach Martin good, according to NFL.com’s draft profile.

As in third-team All-American as a senior at Western Kentucky good.

And when you put on the tape, as Dolphins blogger Max Himmelrich has done, you’ll find that the hype is justified.

Measurables

Height: 6-foot-4.

Weight: 309 pounds.

Arm length: 32 1/4 inches.

Hands: 10 5/8 inches.

40 time: 5.00 seconds.

Bench press: 34 reps.

Vertical jump: 27.5 inches.

Broad jump: 111 inches.

Three-cone drill: 7.55 seconds.

20-yard shuffle: 4.62 seconds.

SPARQ score: 110.2, 67.3rd percentile, 10th among draft-eligible offensive linemen.

Film breakdown

Lamp wears No. 76

Max’s take

Pros: In terms of fundamentals and technique, Forrest Lamp is rock solid. If you combine top-notch technique with 34 reps on the bench press (93rd percentile), you end up with a pretty good recipe for success. His projection as a guard isn't due to any deficiency in skill; Lamp's build is simply best suited for interior play.

Cons: Lamp strikes me as a very safe prospect. My main concern would simply be with his arm length (32 1/4 inches). However, most of that is mitigated with a move inside. Some would point to the level of competition he faced at Western Kentucky, but he had one of his best games of the season against Alabama.

Fit for the Dolphins: If I were a member of the Dolphins' front office, this pick would have me sleeping peacefully next Thursday night. Forrest Lamp is a relatively safe prospect, and would instantly fill a glaring hole in Miami's offense. My philosophy is this: If the Dolphins want to win in 2017, they're still going to have to lean on the offense. With Laremy Tunsil, Forrest Lamp, Mike Pouncey, Ja'Wuan James and a competition for the final guard position, I believe the Dolphins would have a vastly superior offensive line to the unit they put out in Week 1 of 2016. Lamp could help provide an interior anchor for a positional unit that has hugely influenced the Dolphins' ability to succeed in recent years.

This story was originally published April 19, 2017 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Pre-Draft Film Breakdown: A closer look at Western Kentucky guard Forrest Lamp."