Lamp, Taylor impress scouts at NFL Combine

John Reecer

Former senior wide receiver Taywan Taylor and senior offensive lineman Forrest Lamp participated in the annual NFL Combine last weekend in Indianapolis.

In what was potentially their biggest job interview of their lives, neither Taylor nor Lamp disappointed scouts.

Coming into the event, both players were regarded as valuable prospects by several scouting services. Lamp was mostly projected as a second round pick while Taylor was tabbed to go anywhere between the third and fourth round.

Lamp in particular had an incredibly impressive combine as he finished fourth among all offensive linemen with a 5.00-second 40-yard dash, third among linemen with a broad jump of 111 inches, and fifth overall in the three-cone drill (7.55 seconds).

The Venice, Florida, native also completed 34 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press, which was the second-highest total among all offensive linemen at the combine.

After his dominant performance, Will Binson from CBSsorts.com said, “It’s hard to see him falling out of the first round at this point.”

Lamp also managed to catch the attention of Mike Mayock,  one of the lead scouts for NFL.com. Maycock currently has Lamp ranked as the top interior lineman in the draft.

“He’s crossing off every single box and trust me, the teams around the league are very aware of him,” Mayock said. “The more I see him — I love his tape, especially against Alabama — the more I’ve seen this kid and how he responded at the Senior Bowl and then here, I think he’s going to be a first-round draft pick.”

If Lamp is drafted in the  first round, he will be the highest player ever drafted out of WKU by a very wide margin.

Taylor also managed to impress scouts as the wide receiver and former Pleasure Ridge Park High School product ran the 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds which the 19th-fastest time for receivers.

Taylor also managed to record a 33.5-inch vertical leap, and an 11-foot broad jump while also recording  the 18th most reps on bench reps of his position group. His impressive broad jump was seventh-best out of all receivers at the combine.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com said Taylor has a “high floor with the potential to be an above-average slot receiver in an offense that recognizes his flexibility.”

Currently, Zierlein says the Taylor’s game is comparable to Minnesota Viking wide receiver Stefon Diggs,  who recorded 84 receptions for 903 yards last season.

The 2017 NFL Draft will start on April 27 and will end on April 29. Both Lamp and Taylor are currently projected to be selected within the first two days of the event.

Reporter John Reecer can be reached at 270-427-8320 and [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @Reece_12_Falcon.