When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Nick Herbig in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, there was some trepidation about the team’s decision to use him as an EDGE rusher due to his measurables. But during the preseason, Herbig flashed in a big way, registering 3.5 sacks and six pressures. Herbig’s preseason performance makes him one of the 23 most intriguing players in the NFL, per Mike Jones of The Athletic.
“The Steelers already have two talented pass-rushers in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, but the 2023 fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin had people around the league talking this preseason. Opposing scouts, Steelers teammates and coaches alike love the dog mentality, relentless attacking style, athleticism and toughness the 6-foot-2, 242-pound pass rusher has displayed. They predict a big year for Herbig in Pittsburgh’s defense,” Jones writes.
Herbig is going to play behind Watt and Highsmith, but he could push fellow OLB Markus Golden for playing time as the top option behind Pittsburgh’s starters. Golden has more NFL experience and has proven to be an effective pass rusher with 47 career sacks in nine seasons, but Herbig’s preseason has given the Steelers something to consider.
What’s intriguing to me about Herbig is how often he’ll play in the outside linebacker rotation. The Steelers know they have to rest Watt when they can, as the team was a mess without him for seven games last season when he was injured. He’s still going to play the large majority of snaps, but with the depth in the outside linebacker room, it’s going to be interesting to see just how much they rotate.
Outside of his work as a pass rusher and on defense, Herbig offers a lot of upside on special teams. As Jones wrote, he has a “dog mentality” and his motor is endless. That’s what plays well and can make someone a great special teamer, so while the hype on Herbig has been his ability to get to the quarterback, his work on kick coverage units might end up being his biggest contribution to the 2023 Steelers.
No matter where Herbig contributes the most as a rookie, he could prove to be a really good value selection in the fourth round. Teams were likely scared off by his size and whether or not they should keep him at EDGE, a position where he registered 21 sacks and 36 tackles for a loss over his three years at Wisconsin and allowed him to fall into Pittsburgh’s lap. The move also reunited him with his brother, OL Nate Herbig, and having a familiar face in the locker room likely helped him get acclimated to the NFL and could be a small reason for his immediate success.
While there’s still some unknown surrounding Herbig’s role, he is an intriguing player and someone who is going to have eyes on him this year. If he keeps up his preseason performance, his role is going to grow throughout the year, and his playing time Week One is going to be something to watch for. Let’s see if Herbig can develop into another in a long line of great Steelers pass rushers.
