Lance Heard OT Kentucky |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #53 SUB-POSITION: Left Tackle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 5.05 seconds (87%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #53 | |
| SUB-POSITION: Left Tackle | |
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 5.05 seconds (87%*) | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: |
85.5 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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84% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Pass Blocking: |
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79% |
| Run Blocking: |
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69% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Late
Overall Rank:
#66
Position rank:
#8 (OL)
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| College Games: 29 College Snaps: 1835 | ||
ESPN RATING: 86/100
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247 RATING: 98/100
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RIVALS RATING: 6.1 (100%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Darnell Wright - Tennessee |
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96% |
| Max Iheanachor - Arizona State |
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94% |
| Matt Goncalves - Pittsburgh |
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90% |
Draft Profile: Bio
A consensus five-star and one of the top two tackles in the 2023 class out of Neville High in Monroe, Louisiana, Heard signed with LSU and earned SEC All-Freshman honors before transferring to Tennessee in January 2024 as the highest-rated tackle in that portal cycle. He stepped into the Volunteers' starting lineup right away, starting all twelve games at left tackle as a sophomore in 2024.Heard held the blindside job again in 2025, starting thirteen games and earning third-team All-SEC while protecting a heavy passing offense across nearly 500 pass-blocking snaps. He started 23 of 25 games over his two Tennessee seasons before entering the portal again and transferring to Kentucky, a long, powerful blocker with blue-chip pedigree and three years of SEC starting experience already banked. A back injury slowed him at points, but he returned healthy and stayed one of the more experienced blindside protectors in the conference.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Rare mass that moves like a much lighter man; carries enormous weight effortlessly.
- Engulfs rushers once latched; grip strength ends reps when his hands land inside.
- Opened 2025 by paving Syracuse in his best run-blocking performance of the season.
- Started all thirteen games at left tackle in the SEC as a true junior.
- Recovers against speed with light feet, reaching landmarks most blockers his size cannot.
- Earned third-team All-SEC honors while allowing one sack in the regular season.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Pass-rush counters work him over; Alabama hung four pressures on him in one night.
- Hurries pile up even in wins; balance and punch timing desert him mid-rep.
- Penalty-prone with seven flags in 2025, including multiple against both Arkansas and Florida.
- Leans into contact in the run game, losing fits against slanting fronts instead of displacing them.
Scouting Report: Summary
Few college blockers carry mass the way Heard does. He is a true mountain who still moves like an athlete, and when his hands land, reps end early. The Syracuse opener was the showcase, a night spent burying defenders on angle and down blocks in his best run-game performance of the season. He followed it with a full thirteen-start year at left tackle in the SEC, third-team all-conference recognition, and a single sack allowed in the regular season. That is a real resume for a junior in his first year as a full-time starter.The frustration is everything between the flashes. Alabama worked him over with speed-to-power and counters, Oklahoma got into his chest, and the hurry total climbed all season even in wins. His punch timing and balance abandon him mid-rep, and seven penalties show a blocker still guessing at tempo. The run game is also the weaker side of his tape, which is backwards for a man his size; he leans into contact and loses fits against slanting fronts instead of displacing them.
He will finish his college career at Kentucky, his third SEC stop, and the evaluation comes down to betting traits over polish. Tools like this rarely reach the open market, and a patient line coach inherits a mauler with starting-caliber upside at tackle or guard. The floor is shakier than the pedigree suggests, but the ceiling is the highest of any blocker in this range.
How other scouting services rate Lance Heard (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
81.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
14.0
*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.