The Pittsburgh Steelers’ intended identity on offense is pretty clear entering the 2024 season. They want to be the most physical group in the league, and they drafted a trio of offensive linemen to help make that happen. With how crowded the room is, there are going to be some pretty intense competitions in training camp. The young talent will push some of the veterans for their jobs, but they aren’t going to go down without a fight.
One of the more interesting battles will involve Nate Herbig, who will essentially be competing on two fronts. He is set to compete with second-round rookie Zach Frazier for the starting center position, and if he doesn’t win that job he will be competing with fourth-round rookie Mason McCormick for the top interior backup role. Isaac Seumalo said Herbig shouldn’t be counted out of the center competition, but chances are good that Frazier will—at some point—win the starting job.
With the offense set to be a run-first unit under Arthur Smith, there is a premium on players who are big, physical, and full of energy to impose their will on opposing defensive lines. Herbig fits the description to a tee.
Dan Moore Jr. was asked what Nate Herbig brings to the offensive line after an OTA practice on Wednesday.
“Energy. He’s a really big guy, but he’s really athletic, and I love the demeanor that Nate plays with,” Moore said via a video posted on the Steelers’ YouTube page. “He brings definitely a physical mindset to our room, which I like.”
Herbig definitely is a large human. At 6-4, 334 pounds he is definitely on the bigger end of guards, but he can still move pretty well.
Herbig didn’t get a ton of work during his first season with the Steelers in 2023, but he did start in back-to-back weeks toward the beginning of the year against the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens and played about half the game against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12.
The Texans game was pretty rough for him overall, but he got better with each game he played in and actually finished with a great performance against the Cardinals. Pro Football Focus gave him a 91.8 overall grade for that game, including a 91.0 run blocking grade.
Here is a clip from a film room I did on him after that game where he executes some wide-zone run blocking. He creates a lot of push and is able to generate that power on the move. We will likely see a lot of this exact play and formation under new OC Arthur Smith.
Herbig showed enough in his limited action in 2023 to deserve more than just the formality of a competition. He has a legitimate chance to earn the starting center job, at least for the beginning of the season, and he probably has an edge to win the primary interior backup over McCormick for this season.
Regardless of what happens in the competition, the Steelers have the best offensive line, both the starting group and the depth, that they have had in a very long time.
