The Pittsburgh Steelers feel good about their draft class, but one player in particular brings in a lot of hype: outside linebacker Jarvis Jones. He was fantastic with Georgia over the past two seasons, with 28 sacks over the last two years.
NFL Draft 2013: Jarvis Jones faces uphill climb to start for Steelers
Jarvis Jones will have to battle Jason Worilds for the starting job at right outside linebacker, and it won’t be an easy task.
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That said, Jones isn't going to be handed the starting role, as noted by Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Linebackers coach Keith Butler said that it's going to be tough for Jones to earn the job over Jason Worilds,
“Jason Worilds should be a lot better than he was last year. Everybody talks about Jarvis coming in and stuff like that and is Jarvis going to start his first year?,” Butler said, “We’ve never started a [rookie] linebacker since I’ve been here.”
More: Behind the Steel Curtain
Worilds is looking for his first opportunity at starting, since the Steelers released James Harrison. It’s likely that Jones will get a chance to battle Worilds for a starting opportunity right out of the gate, but it will be an uphill climb. Head coach Mike Tomlin also said that it’s a “daunting task for rookies to start in any system and play and perform well.”
Worilds is entering the final year of his contract. If the Steelers intend to have Jones be the starter going forward, then we’ll likely see a lot of him next season. But Worilds entering the season as the starter is the most likely scenario, with Jones potentially taking snaps from him as the season goes on.
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