Dogs star Jarvis Jones headed to Pittsburgh with No. 17 pick

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have taken linebacker Jarvis Jones of Georgia with their first-round pick in the NFL draft.

Pittsburgh selected Jones with the 17th overall pick, and he gives the Steelers the pass rushing specialist they need after the team cut veteran James Harrison last month. The 6-foot-2 Jones is the first linebacker the Steelers have selected in the opening round since Pittsburgh drafted Lawrence Timmons in 2007.

Jones collected 28 sacks in two years at Georgia and was an All-American in 2012, when he was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection. The 23-year-old Jones will compete with Jason Worilds for the right starting outside linebacker spot left by Harrison's departure.

The Steelers finished 2012 with the NFL's top-ranked defense but had just 37 sacks, tied for 15th in the league.