Pittsburgh Steelers sign first round pick Jarvis Jones
By Matt Shetler
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a very busy Monday afternoon.
Just hours after coming to terms with second-round pick Le’Veon Bell on a four-year deal; the Steelers did the same to first-round selection Jarvis Jones.
May 21, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones (95) participates in organized team activities at the UPMC Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
By signing the No. 17 overall selection, the Steelers are once again assured of their first-round pick being in camp on time.
Financial terms of the four-year deal were not disclosed.
The outside linebacker out of Georgia led the nation in sacks a season ago and brought down the quarterback 28 times over the course of the past two seasons.
His pass rushing ability will be a blessing as the Steelers need some young impact players on the defensive side of the ball.
"“I think it’s a blessing. I wanted to get it out of the way so I can continue to focus on my career,” Jones told Steelers.com. “The organization and my agent did a great job of getting it out of the way so it won’t be a distraction going into training camp. I’m going to be fully focused and ready to go out there and give everything I’ve got to help my teammates.”"
He will compete with Jason Worilds to take the spot left vacant by the departure of James Harrison.
The signing of Jones now means that the Steelers have signed seven of their nine selections from the 2013 NFL Draft.