Lance Heard OT Kentucky |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #53 SUB-POSITION: Left Tackle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 11/08/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 5.05 seconds (87%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jersey: #53 | |
| SUB-POSITION: Left Tackle | |
| Last Updated: 11/08/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 5.05 seconds (87%*) | |
| Overall Rating: |
85.1 / 100
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
|
83% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Pass Blocking: |
|
91% |
| Run Blocking: |
|
78% |
|
DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Late
Overall Rank:
#54
Position rank:
#9 (OL)
|
||
| College Games: 38 College Snaps: 2429 | ||
ESPN RATING: 86/100
|
||
247 RATING: 98/100
|
||
|
RIVALS RATING: 6.1 (100%)
|
||
| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Will Campbell - LSU |
|
91% |
| Francis Mauigoa - Miami |
|
91% |
| Blake Miller - Clemson |
|
89% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Lance Heard moved from Bastrop to Neville High School in Monroe, Louisiana, and switched to offense as a junior, earning all-state honors at right tackle. He caught a touchdown in the Army All-American Game, and On3 rated him a five-star recruit and the No. 2 tackle in the 2023 class. He signed with LSU over Nebraska, Florida and Florida State.Heard played in 12 games with one start as a freshman at LSU and earned SEC All-Freshman honors, then transferred to Tennessee in January 2024. He became the Volunteers' left tackle, missing two early games with an injury in 2024, and he held the job all of 2025, playing 887 snaps. He earned third-team All-SEC from the coaches and was named SEC co-offensive lineman of the week after the 56-34 win at Kentucky. He entered the transfer portal again on 1 January 2026 and committed to Kentucky nine days later.
A minor injury that required surgery cost Heard the end of spring practice, but he was ready for the season after being named a preseason second-team All-SEC pick by the media. He has played every game at tackle for a 7-1 Kentucky team, allowing no sacks and nine pressures, with two each against Alabama, South Carolina and LSU. ESPN's Jordan Reid has reported that some scouts view him as a guard at the next level.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Rare athlete for his size, with a top-tier forty for a tackle
- No sacks allowed in eight games this season
- Three years of SEC starting experience at left tackle
- Moves well enough to reach landmarks on zone runs and climb to linebackers
- Third-team All-SEC by the coaches as Tennessee's left tackle in 2025
- Five-star pedigree who has steadily cleaned up his pass sets
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Penalties remain an issue, with seven in 2024, seven in 2025 and three this year
- Allowed 21 pressures in both 2024 and 2025
- Run blocking is less consistent than his size suggests
- Now on his third SEC program in four seasons
Injury History
Injury risk: Low 2 of 46 games missed through injury (4.3%)
- 2024: ankle/leg - 2 games
Scouting Report: Summary
Heard is a big, athletic left tackle with rare movement skills for his size and three years of SEC starting experience. He tested at the top of the position for his frame, moves well enough to reach landmarks in the run game, and when his hands land inside he can end reps quickly. A former five-star recruit, he has now started at left tackle for two SEC programs. He has played more than 500 snaps this season.His 2026 season has been his cleanest. He has allowed no sacks and nine pressures in eight games for a 7-1 Kentucky team, and he has held up against SEC fronts, giving up two pressures each against Alabama, South Carolina and LSU. That is a clear step from 2024 and 2025, when he allowed 21 pressures in each season at Tennessee, and it has come on a team that has won seven of eight.
However, the details still come and go. Penalties have followed him, with seven in each of his two Tennessee seasons and three more this year, and his balance and punch timing can desert him mid-rep. His run blocking is less forceful than his size suggests, and ESPN's Jordan Reid has reported that some scouts view him as a guard. He is also on his third SEC program in four seasons, and teams will ask about the moves. His three penalties this season came against Alabama, South Alabama and LSU.
Overall, Heard is a traits-over-polish tackle whose 2026 tape is the best of his career. He projects as a second-round tackle with the ceiling of a starting left tackle and the floor of a guard who can use his size and movement inside. Teams that run a zone scheme will value his movement most, and his frame and athleticism give him a fallback at guard.
How other scouting services rate Lance Heard (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
48.3
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
8.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.