An excited buzz in training camp and a successful preseason back in 2013 put Jarvis Jones in a starting role as a rookie. In year one, he failed to live up to the hype. Is the positive buzz this year any different?
Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette reports that Jones has shown some punch thus far in his second camp as a Steeler. Jones has exhibited some pass rush skills that he appeared to lack in 2013. Last season, Jones often looked like he had run out of options when his bull rush was stymied on his way to the quarterback.
The tools that Jones used to get to the quarterback when he led the country in sacks while at Georgia were primarily athleticism and over powering blockers in front of him. That hasnt worked so far for Jones in the NFL.
Being swallowed up by a single blocker play after play really isnt an option for a starting outside backer in a 3-4 defense. Jones couldnt get off blocks in the pass game or the run game. This lack of effectiveness can possibly be attributed to a few things.
Learning an NFL defense, especially one as complicated as that employed by the Steelers, can severely impair a players ability to react. When a player is used to being a better athlete than the man across from him, the playing field might shift significantly once the opponent is also one of the most talented athletes in the world.
Remedies for both of these issues may well be in place this time around. First, Jones has gained the experience of an NFL season. He should know the defense well, and not require the time to think, rather just react. In the final game of the season against the Cleveland Browns Jones was all over the field and looked like a different player than he had been all seasonhopefully, an indication of his progress.
A second key is the addition of Joey Porter as a defensive assistant. It seems that this is a good opportunity for Jones to learn some more detailed techniques and nuances of the pass rush and block shedding portion of his role.
