When the Steelers selected Jarvis Jones with the 17th pick in the 2013 draft, it was assumed that he would step right in and become the next great Steelers outside linebacker, heir apparent to Greg Lloyd, Joey Porter, and James Harrison.
And why wouldn’t fans think that? As a junior, Jones led the country in sacks with 14.5, giving him 28 in two seasons as a starter for the Bulldogs.
Jones may have peaked early, however. For the Steelers, in three seasons, he has…drumroll please…
Five sacks.
Yes, that’s right…five.
Is something amiss here?
There’s always the oft-provided excuse that the Steelers defense is difficult to master. For those who would argue that Jones has yet to reach the point where he’s reacting rather than thinking, consider these stats:
In his first three seasons as a starter, Joey Porter tallied 28.5 sacks. James Harrison had 34.5 and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2008. Porter’s defensive coordinator at the time was Tim Lewis, while Harrison played under Dick LeBeau.
No matter who the defensive coordinator is, football is football. There’s no magic formula that makes a rush linebacker get sacks. Clearly, something in Jones’ game has not translated from college to the pros. Yes, he’s shown flashes of brilliance but has largely been a flash in the pan.
Does the name Jason Worilds ring a bell?
The Steelers made the practical and necessary move when they decided not to exercise Jones’ fifth year option on his rookie contract. This shouldn’t be seen as a death knell to Jones’ career in black and gold, however. There’s still time. If he puts it all together in 2016, the Steelers could franchise him and work out a long term deal.
That being said, the percentages are stacked against him.
Should Jones wash out and be allowed to walk after this season, there are some options available, other than making an outside linebacker their first pick in next year’s draft.
Anthony Chickillo: he’s still learning to play the position after transitioning from a 4-3 end at the University of Miami. He came on strong as a special teams player late in the 2015 season and even backed up Jones at outside linebacker in the Steelers regular season finale against Cleveland.
Travis Feeney: the Steelers sixth round pick in this year’s draft from the University of Washington. He’s 6’4 and 226, which is considered a bit small by NFL standards (Jones, by comparison, is listed as 248. Joey Porter came out of college listed at 241).
However, Feeney runs a blazing 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, which was the second fastest time of all linebackers at the combine, and he was considered among the most athletic prospects at the position.
If Jones continues his mediocre play, don’t be surprised to see one of these two players get more snaps, especially Chickillo, who already has a year under his belt.
Next: Steelers: Keep an eye on DHB
And if Jones reels off a 10 sack season? Then, the Steelers will have another tough decision to make, determining whether one great season is merely an anomaly or whether Jones has finally become the player they intended him to be.
Once again, does the name Jason Worilds ring a bell?