8. 2013 Jarvis Jones (17) OLB Georgia
58 tackles, one forced fumble and three sacks in two seasons filled with injury is not the type of player that is going to get high grades as a first-round pick anytime soon. The Steelers still have high hopes that Jones can round out into a solid outside linebacker, but his injury last season and lack of production is the reason the team had to bring back James Harrison. 2015 will be a big shot for Jones to prove himself, but he needs to stay on the field and show off that speed that drew the Steelers to him in 2013.
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Mario
April 29, 2015 at 8:38 pm
Nothing spectacular. Shows Tomlin should let Cowher pick for him this year!
DrGeorge
April 30, 2015 at 8:56 am
Timmons and Heyward are the real deal; DeCastro is solid if not spectacular; Shazier excels when he’s healthy; Pouncey ends up in Ben R’s lap too often to be the best center in the NFL, especially since his knee surgery, but he is serviceable. Hood was for all practical purposes a second round pick and a mistake, and Jarvis Jones and Mendenhall are journeymen talents.
Yet, over all, Tomlin’s picks haven’t been remarkably worse than many other NFL coaches. If Tomlin has a fault, it is not his picks per se, but his tendency to become emotionally invested in his picks and continue to start them when other players are clearly better. Hood, Mendenhall and Pouncey are in this category. Jarvis Jones probably is too; he shows no flashes of brilliance even when healthy; but his frequent injuries make it difficult to assess his true abilities at this level, and he deserves another season to prove himself.