Buy Or Sell: Nick Herbig is a future starter in the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.
Explanation: Nick Herbig has done nothing but exceed expectations since the Steelers drafted him last year. After a very promising rookie season, he is displaying significant growth early in his second offseason. Observers are calling him a starting-caliber player in the making. The only problem is there is no starting job right now—but there could be in the future.
Buy:
Nobody questioned Nick Herbig’s talent coming out of college. They only questioned his size. Well, he has already answered those questions with his play on defense last year. Yes, it was a small sample size, but we got enough of a taste of how he can navigate larger offensive linemen—he simply goes around them. If he doesn’t give them his chest, he will find the crease, the crevice, the alley, and he is gone.
The thing is, Nick Herbig may lack ideal size, but he has the tools to split the difference. He has great athletic traits and knows how best to utilize them. On top of that, he is a true football junkie, and he has the best resources available in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Every practice, every meeting is a crash course in how to be a great edge defender.
And let’s make one thing clear: Herbig did more than just flash a pass-rush potential. He also played the run well, as attested to by his five tackles for loss. Sure, sometimes his lack of reach will hinder him, but most players have weaknesses. He has more than enough tools to mitigate his weaknesses far more often than not.
Herbig has the talent to have a long career in the NFL, one way or another, and only turns 23 in November. Watt turns 30 in October, and Highsmith turns 27 in August. At some point, either Watt will retire, or they will move on from Highsmith.
Sell:
Well, this is a problem. Let’s begin with opportunity: Nick Herbig won’t have one for a long time. T.J. Watt will likely play another five-plus years, and Alex Highsmith still has four years on his contract. There is a clear logistical impediment to the achievement of the prompt here.
Let’s say Herbig is capable of starting, just for the sake of argument. How long do you think he is going to wait? If he can find a team willing to start him in free agency, he will take that spot. Especially if his brother is gone, and I’m not sure Nate Herbig will survive this year’s cuts.
Then there is always the possibility that Herbig isn’t actually a starting-caliber player. He may have starting-caliber talent, but not a starting-caliber body. Yeah, he can look threatening on a 10-snaps-a-game diet, but he isn’t holding up to a 900-snap season. The role he has entering 2024 is his ideal, and he can earn a very nice paycheck for that.
With the Steelers’ 2023 season in the rearview mirror following a disappointing year that came up short in the playoffs once again, it’s time to start asking more questions. Questions about the team’s future in 2024 and beyond. Questions about The Standard.
The rookie class of a year ago was on the whole impressive, but they need to step up into staple starters in 2024. And they needed a strong influx of talent in both free agency and in the 2024 NFL draft yet again. In addition to a revisitation of the coaching staff.
These sorts of uncertainties are what I will look to address in our Buy or Sell series. In each installment, I will introduce a topic statement and weigh some of the arguments for either buying it (meaning that you agree with it or expect it to be true) or selling it (meaning you disagree with it or expect it to be false).
