Steelers Select Georgia LB Jones With 17th Draft Pick
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Pittsburgh Steelers selected University of Georgia outside linebacker Jarvis Jones with the 17th overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday.
"He's a solid kid, he's a great player," said Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert. "In fact he's been dominant at the major college level."
Jones stock in the draft fell after running a disappointing 4.9 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day, "when he ran the 4.9, we were happy," Colbert said. "'Cause we knew we had a chance. The first thing I did was to set up the visit with his agent. He continued with his workout and it was off the charts. He's a football player at every phase of the game."
Head coach Mike Tomlin said it "was a fun and easy evaluation", adding he played in a similar scheme in college and the pick came with very little guess work. "He plays the game with a certain disposition that we value. Whether he's making a tackle or confronting a block, he does it in a manner that we appreciate. He'll fit in great with our group."
The 23-year-old transferred from USC after suffering with a mild case of spinal stenosis, and went back closer to home at Georgia. Both the Steelers and Jones said he passed his medical tests. Jones started all 26 games over 2 seasons at Georgia finishing with 28 sacks and 45.5 tackles for loss. "Just come in and play man," Jones said when asked about what he'll bring to Pittsburgh. "I know they have a great defense and known for their defense. It's something I'm very passionate about." Jones says he is relentless like James Harrison, "we ball hawks, we impact players. We make plays when they need to be made."
Jones has been working out with Steelers corner Ike Taylor. "He just talked about how great the program is," Jones said about Taylor. "What that defense means up there, they take pride in what they do. Everybody knows the Steel Curtain. I'm just so happy and thrilled to be a part of this organization."
Listen to what Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, and head coach Mike Tomlin had to say about Jarvis Jones.
Steelers Talk Draft Pick Jones
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