Many scouts has Billings projected as a first- or second-round selection, but he was still on the board late in the fourth round when the Bengals grabbed him with the 122nd pick.
Billings was expected to add depth to the defensive line rotation and eventually replace 11-year veteran Domata Peko, who is in the final year of his contract.
Billings is the second Bengals draft pick to undergo surgery after first-round cornerback William Jackson had a procedure to re-attach a torn pectoral muscle. Jackson's injury, like Billings, could cost him his entrie rookie season, although head coach Marvin Lewis said there is a chance Jackson could return depending on how quickly he heals.
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