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* RD 4 Bengals select Andrew Billings DT, Baylor


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Surprised he fell this far, but you kind of knew that with so many DTs available, that at least a couple of them would end up sliding further than expected. When you talk about taking advantage of positional depth in a draft, this is the exact type of pick you point to. Reminds me a little bit of Marvin Jones in the 5th round of 2012 in what many considered the deepest WR draft in a decade. 

Aside from the positional depth, my take on why Billings fell is simply that he's not a great fit for every team. Not sure he has the length and lower-body bulk to be a NT for the 3-4 teams. Probably not a guy and 3-4 teams were targeting. And he's not even a fit for every 4-3 team. But the Bengals usually give the DTs a gap to attack every play and that's what Billings' strength is. He has a nice first-step and can get some push when he starts leaning on a guy. Really a great fit for our system and I think he's going to look like a steal based upon his impact here. 

(Also the run-stopping DTs without a bunch of pass-rush skills always end up going a round or two lower than projected. You'd think the draft analysts would have caught onto that by now.)

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Bengals lift Baylor strongman with value pick in fourth; Grab Ole Miss WR in sixth

Posted 4 hours ago

hobson60x60.jpgGeoff HobsonEditorBengals.comFollow Me Blog

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Andrew Billings watches tape of perennial Pro Bowl tackle Vince Wilfork and wore his number, too.

In the towering fourth round tradition of the Bengals defensive line, Cincinnati wowed the draftnicks with Saturday’s selection of Baylor strongman Andrew Billings.

The 6-1, 310-pound Billings, a ridiculously strong defensive tackle who has squatted 805 pounds (a national high school record) and dead lifted 700 pounds as the strongest player in the draft, is seen as a backup to nose tackle Domata Peko who can contribute fairly quickly in the rotation as a run-stuffer.

The Bengals went on the other side of the line to take guard Chris Westerman in the fifth round, an Auburn transfer to Arizona State that started 26 of 27 games the past two seasons. As a rookie he's projected as a backup and they like to teach their young reserve guards how to play back-up center. Westerman is also a strong guy with a bench press of 225 pounds 41 times before his senior year. NFL.com draft guru called the pick "at that point in Round 5 is a great value."

Then after they mulled trading up for Ole Miss wide receiver Cody Core in the fifth, they got him in the sixth with the 199th pick, giving them a second receiver in the class to book-end second-rounder Tyler Boyd. The 6-3, 205-pound Core was the Ole Miss receiver that could run opposite first-rounder Laquon Treadwell. He finished second behind Treadwell with 644 yards on 37 catches with four TD catches and a 17.4-yard average. His 4.47 40-yard dash is a stark contrast to Treadwell's 4.65.

Talk about value. The Bengals talked about Billings as early as the second round and ran to the podium after New Orleans passed to Minnesota, the pick before the Bengals. The Saints eventually got it in before Cincinnati so Billings had one more wait.

Billings admitted he was stunned he was on the board that long and said the snub will, “stay with me the rest of my life . . . I think it will be a good thing for me."

When he talked to his agent Friday night after the third round they consoled themselves with the story of Bengals Pro Bowler Geno Atkins, another shortish-type tackle who has gone to four Pro Bowls after getting drafted in the fourth round in 2010. Peko, heading into the last year of his deal, has been a staple for the last decade on and off the field after going in the fourth round in 2006. And Robert Geathers played all over the line for a decade after being selected in the fourth round in 2004.

Atkins is regarded as the strongest Bengal in the weight room, but he’ll probably have to pass on that mantle. The question now is if Billings, a young 21, can transfer his strength as brilliantly as Atkins. Right now Billings is seen only as a run-down player, which may have hurt him, but the Bengals think he can do more than that.

"He doesn't play in a phone booth," said defensive line coach Jacob Burney. "He can make plays tackle to tackle."

A junior, Billings wrecked foes with 26.5 tackles for loss the past two seasons to go with 7.5 sacks. He said the only team that single-blocked him this year was TCU and he had a sack.

"He's an anchor and he just turned 21," said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. "We''re happy."

NFL Network loved the pick and said "it's time for the Bengals' personnel department to be mentioned among the best." When they got the pick in, the draft room exulted like it hasn't all weekend.

"He's a tough-minded individual," Burney said. "He's a leader."

Bengals radio analyst Dave Lapham, a 10-year offensive lineman, agreed with the pundits and thought the Bengals got a steal. He only has to look at AFC North rival Brandon Williams, the Ravens' superb nose tackle, to see what an impact that could be for guy like Atkins to draw double teams.

"(Williams) is an explosive guy. He's got hip snap," Lapham said. "We have to see what (Billings) does, but the thing I like most about him is when said this will be a chip on his shoulder the rest f his life. That was great. That's great value for the Bengals. That's even more value to get a guy that big and strong motivated like that."

 

http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Bengals-lift-Baylor-strongman-with-value-pick-in-fourth-Grab-Ole-Miss-WR-in-sixth/819ad8eb-5729-4f66-a146-1d0c97715672

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Bengals Draft Rd 4: News Conference Transcript

Posted 2 hours ago

Cincinnati Bengals Draft Rd 4 News Conference Transcript

Cincinnati Bengals

News Conference Transcriptt

ROUND 4

 

MARVIN LEWIS

Head coach

Initial comments ...

         “It was real exciting for us up there in the room. Andrew Billings was one of the guys we had rated pretty high. What he provides for us is not just a guy within our defensive line rotation, but a real anchor point. He just turned 21 a couple weeks ago, so he’s a young guy with a lot of upside. He played three years of football there at Baylor and he’s just been a really strong and productive player. He’s got a great future ahead of him.

        “He’s strong. He can really use his strength there at the line of scrimmage. He will really give us an asset that way.”

 

It seemed like the mystery of yesterday from yesterday was, ‘Why is Andrew Billings still around?’ Why do you think he was?

         “I think it was his height, maybe, you know? His height (6-1) is restrictive in some ways for some people. But we’ve done pretty well with these guys that we’ve been able to find that have certain characteristics that catch our eye. Then you get to know the player a little bit more and you really like everything about him. We couldn’t be happier.”

 

Where you rated him, it was obviously hard to pass him up around this time around?

         “Yes. That might have been mentioned up there. (laughs) We’ve done a good job of drafting to the best player that we have graded as a consensus, and not to bypass that. At some point, we’ve got to pick that guy, and we’ll find a place to fit him in, and that was the case with Andrew. It felt really good.”

 

JACOB BURNEY

Defensive line coach

Initial comments ...

        “Andrew, his game is really solid. He’ll be really solid in the middle of the defense and that’s kind of what he does best. Even though he may not have a lot of height at 6 feet, he has long arms, so he doesn’t play short. He tosses offensive lineman off of him. He doesn’t get captured. He can move to the ball and plays tough. He’s a knocker. In a 4-3 defense, that’s crucial before you have success, so he’s a guy that’s going to help our defense at the tackle position in a hurry.”

 

How strong is he?

         “Extremely. He has some records as a power lifter — deadlifts, squats and those type of things. Even more importantly, he uses that to play football. He’s not a phone-booth guy; he makes plays tackle-to-tackle in the run game and pushes the pocket in the passing game. He’s not just a guy that stands in one spot because he’s strong; his strength is mobile.”

 

Do you expect Billings to play right away or will he sit and learn initially?

        “Coaching these guys, you’re coaching the player and not coaching for the future, or whatever that might be from that standpoint. He’s going to come in and he’s going to get ready to play, like all them. To me, there’s no process of saying, ‘Okay, let’s let him stew for a while.’ Of course you guys know we’re in the win-now business. So he’s going to come in, get ready, and let’s go.”

 

In your system, how is he as far as lateral movement up and down the line of scrimmage?

        “Sometimes when you talk about guys being strong, you’re talking about someone that’s stiff, stiff in their hips, and when they make plays, is when they come right at them. But this guy moves, that’s why I said tackle-to-tackle, and running for long plays, sweeps and screens. This guy’s a leader. He’s a tough-minded individual. He’s young, but he’s a leader, tough-minded in a sense of responsible-minded. And when you think of a defensive lineman, your job may not always be the one to make the tackle, but you make more plays than tackles in that position. So this guy understands responsibility as well. So there is a lot of upside with this kid.”

 

Since he wasn’t selected until the fourth round, do you expect him to carry a chip on his shoulder?

        “You already know it, don’t you? He’s a guy that’ll think, ‘They should have taken me whenever,’ and that’s fine. That’ll just be motivation for him from that standpoint. Hopefully it stays with him for his entire career, not just one year. He’s that kind of person. I haven’t been around him a tremendous amount, obviously, but he’ll take where he was drafted as a challenge — not as something to be depressed about, but as a challenge to prove that people missed him.”

 

He’s known for his play against the run. What more do you want to get out of him?

        “Is there an area of concern? No, from that standpoint, pushing the pocket and those things. And as players practice, they get better. But do I see a glaring weakness that needs to be addressed in order for him have success? Not in that sense. He just has to improve, this is the NFL. He’s going to have the same shock-and-awe, so to speak, that they’re all going to have, from first-rounders to free agents. But he’ll be able to handle it, like I said; he’s a mature-minded guy. He’ll be ready to go. But yeah, just he needs to improve, just like any rounder when you get into the NFL.”

 

ANDREW BILLINGS

Defensive tackle, Baylor

What was this moment like for you?

        “It was a huge moment. I hadn’t seen it on TV yet, so I didn’t know who was calling. It was a huge relief.”

 

Were you surprised you were there this long?

        “Yeah, I was.”

 

What do you know about the Bengals and the division?

        “I know it’s very physical. They have the best defensive line coach in the league, and I’m happy for that to help me develop myself.”

 

Does this put a chip on your shoulder?

        “It’s huge. I can’t even explain how huge it is. I like the feeling though.”

 

So a chip as big as a 2x4?

        “Yes. (Laughs.)”

 

How strong are you?

        “I squatted 805 my senior year in high school.”

 

How much do you bench?

        “605. I did 605 this season.”

 

How long are your arms?

        “33 inches.”

 

So you rep 450?

        “The most I repped was 450.”

 

So you haven’t squatted since you were a senior in high school?”

        “I haven’t squatted over 670 since high school. I just workout on squat now, I don’t max out.”

 

Did you get an invite to Chicago?

        “No. I was misinformed.”

 

How does Baylor’s defensive style translate to the NFL?

        “It transfers well. I learned more about offense than I thought I’d learn from anyone. It’s all about how you see the players. We don’t have many plans, a huddle or even a playbook, so you have to really rely on your knowledge.”

 

When was the last time you were single blocked?

        “The last time was actually this year vs. TCU. And I got a sack.”

 

What was this wait like?

        “I had a bunch of people over. My agent was there. It was a little anxious at first. Then my agent starting going crazy once the third round passed. Then we sat down and talked about it, thought about Geno Atkins who went in the fourth round. For me, I’m just happy to be drafted.”

 

What do you know about Geno Atkins?

        “Not much except he was a great player who was drafted in the fourth round.”

 

Is he a guy you watch?

        “I have never watched him. I’m about to go watch him now.”

 

As far as the knowledge you get from your agent, when and where were you expecting to go?

        “Minnesota, Green Bay and the Redskins were all possible in the late first-round. And basically it was the same teams in the second. I believe when the third-round came around, Minnesota was going to pick me. But then, they had a trade with the Dolphins where they were getting a lot of picks and weren’t going to pass up. So I didn’t get picked there. And then it came around to the fourth round and Cincinnati got me.”

 

So you were thinking Minnesota was a landing spot?

        “Yes.”

 

Did you talk to Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer at all?

        “No.”

 

Do you think the disappointment of falling this far will roll off your back eventually, or will you carry it with you all year ...

        “This is something I’m going to carry with me my whole life. It’s actually a good thing for me, I believe.”

 

So you want to make everyone pay for passing up on you?

        “Oh, yeah.”

 

How did your time as an offensive tackle in high school prepare you in college for your time as a defensive tackle?

        “That helped me a lot. I learned the rules in high school, what they can do and can’t. I know where their eyes need to be. And I know a little bit more about using my leverage.”

 

Is it true you had 266 pancake blocks in high school?

        “Yes, sir.”

 

You’ve never been pancaked though, have you?

        “No sir.”

 

Did you say TCU was the only team that tried to single-block you?

        “Yep. This year.”

 

How many sacks did you end up with this year?

        “Five and a half.”

 

How many did you have against TCU?

        “One.”

 

Do you think that’s a reason teams passed on you? Maybe they were looking for more of a pass-rusher?

        “Yeah. I think that’s something. They really wanted a pass-rusher, and edge-rusher to get sacks and crank the pressure for the corners. I think that definitely played as a factor.”

 

How much value do you put on just being in the backfield, but not necessarily getting the sack or pressure?

        “That’s the biggest thing for someone in my position. Same thing as the offensive line. If I’m not going three yards in the direction I want to go, then I’m not doing anything. Same thing with the defensive line. I need to get three yards back there, no matter what it is — run, pass, anything. I need to get back there.”

 

Do you watch any tape of pro defensive tackles?

        “I watch a lot of tape of Vince Wilfork. I used to watch Ndamukong Suh a lot, but I kind of got away from that.”

 

Why?

        “I don’t know. I think just because our season started and stopped watching NFL and started watching more college.”

 

http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Bengals-Draft-Rd-4-News-Conference-Transcript/67a62ab4-523d-4844-ad15-3070cb1dde43

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Bengals typically like to swing a defensive end inside on 3rd down.  Obviously if they could get more beef on the line on 3rd, they would to protect against the run, but I'd expect this guy to be rotating in and out with Domata if he's active.

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Why do people say he is only a 2 down DT and can only stuff the run? He looks very athletic and quick for a big man so don't see any reason why he can't get to the quarterback especially playing on a line with Geno, Dunlap and Johnson. 

Just based upon scouting reports, I think the reasons he isn't considered a great pass-rusher are: (1) he didn't have many sacks in his career at Baylor, (2) he doesn't have many pass rush moves yet (just a bull rush), (3) he isn't real agile (4.82 short-shuttle whereas Geno and Aaron Donald were 4.4 at their combine) to be able to get around guys. 

That doesn't mean he can't eventually develop into a decent rusher though. He just turned 21 and will obviously be able to work on his pass-rush moves and hopefully be able to add some polish in that area. He has long arms to keep guys off of him and pretty good closing speed. He ran 5.05 40-yard dash at the combine. That's not Atkins/Donald type speed either, but it's not a bad number for a 300+ pounder.

 

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Just based upon scouting reports, I think the reasons he isn't considered a great pass-rusher are: (1) he didn't have many sacks in his career at Baylor, (2) he doesn't have many pass rush moves yet (just a bull rush), (3) he isn't real agile (4.82 short-shuttle whereas Geno and Aaron Donald were 4.4 at their combine) to be able to get around guys. 

That doesn't mean he can't eventually develop into a decent rusher though. He just turned 21 and will obviously be able to work on his pass-rush moves and hopefully be able to add some polish in that area. He has long arms to keep guys off of him and pretty good closing speed. He ran 5.05 40-yard dash at the combine. That's not Atkins/Donald type speed either, but it's not a bad number for a 300+ pounder.

 

Also, a guy that size doesn't have to get sacks, just collapse the pocket and eat up double teams. He looks perfect for that.

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Also, a guy that size doesn't have to get sacks, just collapse the pocket and eat up double teams. He looks perfect for that.

No doubt. He could be a monster against the run early.

Pass rush might come along but I'm not expecting much impact there as a rookie.

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From the little bit of film I have watched, he's more than just a two down run-stuffer.  He might not be Geno Atkins when it comes to rushing the passer, but I could see him consistently getting four to six sacks a year on plays where he blows his man up and is in the QBs face before he has finished his dropback.  That's pretty solid production for a one technique defensive tackle.

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I cant believe we got this guy in the 4th round. Hes a very underrated pass rusher in my book. DTs in college usually dont have big sack numbers. Theyre job is to take on double teams to free up blotzing linebackers. The guy had 5.5 sacks this year which is pretty solid. Seen a highlight video of him running down a RB who had a 5 yard headstart. Hes sneaky quick for a guy his size. I could easily see him as the day 1 starter at NT. Peko has been a pretty solid player but his time is up. Hes been going down hill for 3 years now.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

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Just based upon scouting reports, I think the reasons he isn't considered a great pass-rusher are: (1) he didn't have many sacks in his career at Baylor, (2) he doesn't have many pass rush moves yet (just a bull rush), (3) he isn't real agile (4.82 short-shuttle whereas Geno and Aaron Donald were 4.4 at their combine) to be able to get around guys. 

That doesn't mean he can't eventually develop into a decent rusher though. He just turned 21 and will obviously be able to work on his pass-rush moves and hopefully be able to add some polish in that area. He has long arms to keep guys off of him and pretty good closing speed. He ran 5.05 40-yard dash at the combine. That's not Atkins/Donald type speed either, but it's not a bad number for a 300+ pounder.

 

Yeah, but 5.5 sacks as a 1 or 0 tech DT is pretty damn good. Geno's best college year was 7.5 sacks, and as a senior, he had 3. And that was playing the 3 tech.

If you look at his tape, he has a Wow play every few snaps. He can play 1 gap or 2 gap. He constantly demanded double-teams, and pushed guys the f*** back.

He calls reporters "Sir".

His nickname should be McDonald's, because I am lovin' it. 

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I cant believe we got this guy in the 4th round. Hes a very underrated pass rusher in my book. DTs in college usually dont have big sack numbers. Theyre job is to take on double teams to free up blotzing linebackers. The guy had 5.5 sacks this year which is pretty solid. Seen a highlight video of him running down a RB who had a 5 yard headstart. Hes sneaky quick for a guy his size. I could easily see him as the day 1 starter at NT. Peko has been a pretty solid player but his time is up. Hes been going down hill for 3 years now.

 

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He wont be the stater this  year, but he will get plenty of snaps to take over next year.

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Billings was my favorite DT in this draft. But I never mocked him to us because I never thought he'd get to 24. After his 40 time at the combine, and how highly rated he already was I thought for sure he'd go in the top 20 picks. 

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