Keandre
Lambert-Smith.
Keandre
Lambert-Smith.
Auburn· 6'1"· 190 lb· 4.37s 40
"A nuanced route runner with soft hands and a polished release package for all three levels, Lambert-Smith must improve his play strength to become a consistent NFL contributor."Pre-draft read
Lambert-Smith is a track-speed vertical threat who learned to run routes. The 4.37 speed shows on the tape — he eats cushion in three steps and forces safeties to bail — and his 19.6 yards per catch in 2024 was not an accident of scheme. The release package improved every year, and by his final season he was beating press with a clean two-way go.
Play strength is the limitation. At 190 pounds he can be rerouted by physical corners inside the first five yards, and contested catches over the middle are not his game. He is a boundary and Z receiver who wants a free release and a clean stem, and he does his damage vertically rather than after the catch on manufactured touches.
Spread RPO, timing West Coast designs, or play-action heavy quick-pass schemes would best leverage his quickness and separation ability.
Immediate special teams contributor as a returner while developing into a reliable WR3/4 with the potential to be a dynamic slot option.
A run-first, ball-control offense that rarely throws beyond 10-15 yards.
His speed and agility make him a versatile target, but maximizing his YAC potential and route tree development will be crucial for his offensive impact.
Keandre Lambert-Smith 2024 Auburn Season Highlights
KEANDRE LAMBERT-SMITH (Auburn) II Full 2024 Highlights
KeAndre Lambert-Smith 2024 Auburn Tigers Highlights ᴴᴰ
Lambert-Smith spent four years at Penn State producing usefully but never dominantly — 125 catches for 1,715 yards and 11 touchdowns — before transferring to Auburn for his final season and posting 50 receptions for 981 yards and eight touchdowns at 19.6 yards per catch. That closing tape was the reason he was drafted.
The speed is real and it tested: a 4.37 forty and a 124-inch broad jump at 6-1, 190 pounds. He is a legitimate take-the-top-off receiver, and the route running caught up to the athleticism in year five, which is the kind of late development that teams either trust or discount.
Los Angeles took him in the fifth round to add a vertical element behind established starters. The frame is thin and the contested-catch profile is limited, so the role is specific: run go routes, run deep overs, threaten the boundary and contribute on special teams. The floor is a WR4 and gunner; the ceiling is a starting Z in a play-action offense that wants one receiver who scares the deep third.
- 01
Deep threat speed
He possesses legitimate 4.37 speed that forces safeties to respect the deep third of the field.
- 02
Efficient production
He averaged 19.6 yards per catch in 2024, accumulating 981 yards on 50 receptions.
- 03
Improved release
His release package improved every season, allowing him to beat press coverage with a two-way go.
- 04
Experienced production
He has five years of Power Four production across two different conferences.
- 05
Reliable hands
He demonstrates reliable hands on vertical stems and back-shoulder throw attempts.
- 01
Thin frame
He is thin at 190 pounds, which allows physical corners to reroute him off the line of scrimmage.
- 02
Limited catch radius
He is not a primary target for contested catches or middle-of-the-field plays.
- 03
After-catch limitations
He is a limited creator after the catch; his production is primarily stem-based.
- 04
Late bloomer
It took until his fifth season to emerge as a primary receiving option for his team.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.37sp50
- Vertical
- 34.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 124inp50
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- —s
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Penn State | 9 | 14 | 132 | 0 |
| 2021 | Penn State | 13 | 34 | 521 | 3 |
| 2022 | Penn State | 13 | 24 | 389 | 4 |
| 2023 | Penn State | 13 | 53 | 673 | 4 |
| 2024 | Auburn | 12 | 50 | 981 | 8 |
| Career | — | 60 | 175 | 2696 | 19 |
Receiving totals verified against CFBD season splits: 14-132-0 (2020), 34-521-3 (2021), 24-389-4 (2022), 53-673-4 (2023) at Penn State, then 50-981-8 (2024) at Auburn. Career: 175 receptions, 2,696 yards, 19 touchdowns. He also completed two of three career pass attempts for 73 yards and a touchdown on trick plays in 2022; that is not listed in the season rows.
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Comparisons share similar versatility and the ability to contribute as a reliable possession receiver, block effectively, and create yards after the catch in a limited capacity.
Both are late-round small school receivers who possess dangerous vertical speed and the ability to make an immediate impact on special teams and as deep threats.
At his floor, he projects as a rotational receiver with good size who can contribute on special teams but may struggle to consistently separate against NFL defensive backs.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
The Chargers wanted speed on the outside for a play-action offense, and Lambert-Smith was the cheapest way to buy it late on day three.
His rookie year was a rotational and special teams one, which is the standard outcome for a fifth-round receiver behind an established depth chart.
The evaluation stands. The speed and the improved release were real and would have played in any offense; the play strength and the narrow route tree are still the reasons he went in the fifth round. He is a vertical specialist, and if a staff commits to that role rather than trying to make him a complete receiver, he has value.
Data note: Receiving totals verified against CFBD season splits: 14-132-0 (2020), 34-521-3 (2021), 24-389-4 (2022), 53-673-4 (2023) at Penn State, then 50-981-8 (2024) at Auburn. Career: 175 receptions, 2,696 yards, 19 touchdowns. He also completed two of three career pass attempts for 73 yards and a touchdown on trick plays in 2022; that is not listed in the season rows.