James Harrison is not an easy player to replace. The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year departed the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason, leaving a defensive spot to fill. Several players are in rotation to put up the numbers that Harrison did, the most intriguing being rookie Jarvis Jones.
A Standout at Georgia, Jones came to Pittsburgh with very high expectations on him. No Pittsburgh rookie linebacker has started for the team since 2001, but Jones could be the one that breaks this. As an outside linebacker, Jones' ability to rush the passer is undeniable. Last season, Pittsburgh ranked 15th in the league with 37 sacks. Last year , Jones had 14.5 sacks alone, racking up 28 total in two seasons.
One Steeler that knows a thing or two about sacks is Lawrence Timmons who tied with Harrison last season with six to lead the team. As the Steelers kick off training camp, Timmons has been giving Jones plenty of advice on how to handle the linebacker position and what it takes to be a starter for the team.
"Definitely make yourself stand out. Be a good rusher and cover well in coverage against the tight ends, who he's going to play a lot against. Just be a student of the game. Follow the playbook, look at film, always be in line to gather information. If he does all of those things, he'll be fine," Timmons told Trib Total Media.
Jones will be competing against Jason Worilds to fill the Harrison void. Worilds looked impressive during the times has filled in for Harrison last season. He registered five sacks in three starts. Worilds has a leg up on Jones already having been with the team for years. Learning the complicated defense of Dick LeBeau is no easy task, something Jones will be playing catch up on.
Going into camp, head coach Mike Tomlin named Worilds the starter at outside linebacker. He noted the linebacker's experience with the team and understanding of what is expected of players makes them the easy choice to be at the top of the depth chart. However, there is no guarantee that he stays there.
If the Steelers were fully confident that Worilds would step in and fill the Harrison void immediately, they would not have drafted Jones. If the rookie can follow the advice of Timmons and really understand the complicated schemes, he could be the starter come Sept. 8 against the Tennessee Titans.