On Thursday, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin spoke to the media in a press conference prior to the team’s Week Two matchup against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium.
During the press conference, Tomlin was asked about OLB Nick Herbig and if he’s been everything the Steelers thought they were getting when they picked him in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
“He has,” Tomlin said via video from the team’s YouTube channel. “Obviously, we like doing business with Wisconsin, man. Just schematically, the things that they were doing under their former coordinator Jim Leonhard were things that were very similar to what it is that we do. And so, there’s less speculation there in terms of your vision of what he might be capable of doing. It’s the same thing that made us comfortable when we drafted T.J. [Watt] and [Isaiahh] Loudermilk and [Kenton] Benton. And so, there’s very little speculation schematically. There’s a lot of carryover and so, I can’t tell you that I’m overly shocked at what we’re seeing from him. It’s very much in line with what we saw on Wisconsin video.”
Herbig has been one of the Steelers’ best players in training camp. He has been Watt’s shadow, picking his brain and asking about all of his pass rush moves to hone his skill set to better compete against the offensive tackles in the NFL. All of that work is paying off as Herbig has been difficult to block for most of camp, giving OT Broderick Jones and TE Darnell Washington fits at times with his burst and speed off the edge as well as with how he sets up his pass rush moves.
Herbig only played 13 defensive snaps against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Friday, but he made the most of them, logging three total tackles, a tackle for loss, and 1.5 sack. Many questioned whether Herbig’s lack of ideal size and length would hamper him in his transition from the college game to the pros. While he may tend to struggle against bigger, more athletic tackles that can get a hold of him, his technique and urgency in pursuit make up for a lot of his physical limitations.
Tomlin pointed to Wisconsin’s defensive scheme being like Pittsburgh’s, deploying a similar defensive front, one in which Herbig operated primarily as a standup edge rusher. That has made his transition to the NFL relatively smooth from a schematic standpoint, playing in a similar role with similar responsibilities. This has allowed Herbig to play loose and free, not having to overthink. He can attack the quarterback like he did during his time with the Badgers, putting up similar tape in his first game in the National Football League.
