Steelers: Final Mock Draft
By Rich Donahue
Andrew Billings, Baylor Defensive Tackle
Since the retirement of Casey Hampton, the Steelers have not found a player who can dominate at the zero technique. Baylor’s Andrew Billings shares a lot of similarities with Hampton, including world strongest man type strength. In high school, he set Texas state lifting record in bench press (500 lbs.), deadlifting (705 lbs.) and squats (805 lbs.).
Billings is much more athletic than Hampton was. He is an penetrator who fights off blocks to make plays in the backfield. Hampton was a two down player for most of this career with the Steelers. At Baylor, Billings rarely came off the field, playing nearly every down on defense.
After starting only 2 games his freshmen year, Billings made a name for himself on the Bear’s 2014 run at the national title. He was first team All-Big 12 that season, racking up 12 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. His success continued into 2015, totaling 14 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Billings was co-defensive player of the year in the Big 12 and was named an All-American.
The combination of versatility, athleticism and strength makes Billings one of the most intriguing prospects this year. He would be a great fit with the Steelers defense. It will be interesting to see if he falls to them on draft day.
Next: Round 2