With the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2022 season over, the team finishing above .500 but failing to make the postseason, we have turned our attention to the offseason. One thing that it means is that some stock evaluations are going to start taking on broader contexts, reflecting on a player’s development, either positively or negatively, over the course of the season. Other evaluations will reflect only one immediate event or trend. The nature of the evaluation, whether short-term or long-term, will be noted in the reasoning section below.
Player: OLB Nick Herbig
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: While there is much more to be learned about the rookie once the pads come on in Latrobe, Nick Herbig has at least impressed his teammates with his athletic abilities and his relentlessness during spring practices.
I’m tired of leading with qualifiers every time I write about Nick Herbig. He is an outside linebacker, full stop. Until that changes, that’s how I’m going to refer to him without hesitation. And without pads on, he has been able to show off some of his better attributes that he brings to the table.
That is, first and foremost, his motor, his relentlessness, his willingness to keep pushing and to try to make the most of every rep. That’s what he did at Wisconsin already, so I’m sure he didn’t need to be advised on that front.
The other feature that jumps out is his quickness, including off the ball. Teammates and coaches have mentioned this when talking about the rookie fourth-round pick during rookie minicamp, OTAs, and finally veteran minicamp. His get-off will be big for him.
The Steelers bringing in Markus Golden does take off the pressure of trying to get Herbig ready to play right away. They also have Quincy Roche, who has some playing time experience in the NFL, even if not in Pittsburgh in spite of the fact that the Steelers drafted him.
But the good news for the rookie is that they can find room for him to get on the field if he shows that he’s worth it. And it’s that motor and quickness that will stand out most of all. I would guess if he sees the field it will mostly be as a situational pass rusher this year, but time will tell.
The big question will be what he looks like working against NFL tackles when the pads come on. Will he get swallowed? Can he work off the blocks? How physical will he be able to be, and if not much, how well can he compensate with his athletic gifts? If he can’t be physical enough, that’s going to limit what they can do with him, but he’ll have the opportunity to prove himself starting in Latrobe.
