Overview
Position: Nose Tackle
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 311 lbs
School: Baylor Bears
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 5.09 seconds
Bench Press: 31 reps
Vertical Jump: 27.9 inches
Andrew Billings 2016 NFL Draft Profile
Even before he donned a Baylor Bears jersey, Andrew Billings had already earned top billing honors in Waco.
A local product out of Waco High School, Billings was a two-way player for the Lions on the offensive and defensive lines, earning All-state honors his senior year in 2012 while also recording 132 pancake blocks. Billings would earn numerous honors throughout his high school career, but none bigger than breaking the 22 year old Texas state lifting record. With a total lift of 2,010 pounds (805 squat, 500 bench, 705 dead lift) Billings would set a mark in Texas High School power lifting that was previously held by professional wrestler Mark Henry. Billings athletic prowess was given at birth with his parents, Anthony and Sylvia Billings having played baseball and ran track respectively at the college level.
Like most local standouts, Billings was wary on whether he should stay close to home to continue his football career. But, his power lifting background at Waco was a deciding factor in him committing to Baylor after meeting Baylor strength and conditioning coach Kaz Kazadi:
“I wanted to get out of Waco and saw all these other schools, but I saw Coach Kaz and how he was in the weight room. It was a big selling point. This was the best school and I had to go there. It was a long decision, but not a hard decision.” — Billings on what led to him committing to Baylor in 2013.
Billings would make several appearances as a true freshman for the Bears in 2013, playing in 11 out of 13 games, making his first start against Texas in a game that would clinch the Big-12 Championship and grant the Bears their first BCS Bowl berth.
As a sophomore, Billings would start all 13 games and earn consensus All-Big-12 honors while being one of only nine players to start the entire season for the Bears. In his junior year this past season, Billings would earn first-team All-American honors while being named Big-12 Co-Defensive player along with Oklahoma State’s Emmanuel Ogbah as well as Big-12 Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Read: Emmanuel Ogbah 2016 NFL Draft Profile
Strengths
- Olympic-level strength, and can only getting stronger.
- Ridiculous speed for his size.
- Strength allows him to get off blocks with relative ease.
- Ability to finish tackles.
- Recruited to Baylor as a offensive lineman giving him the a high football IQ in relation to what to expect from an opposing lineman.
- Short stature allows for better leverage against blocking lineman.
Weaknesses
- Age will be concern. Billings just turned 20 years old on March 6th.
- Speed and high motor needs to be controlled in order to not over run the play.
- Still raw at the position having recently moved to defensive line once enrolling at Baylor.
- Needs to be coached up to be an efficient pass rusher.
NFL Comparison: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
Teams with need at position: Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints
Projection: First – early second Round
Bottom Line
With the strength of an NFL veteran, Andrew Billings 2016 NFL Draft measurements show that he is literally built for the league. His youth is of some concern but with the right veteran presence Billings will become a massive force on the defensive line for years to come.
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