The Pittsburgh Steelers made the decision to play Nick Herbig at EDGE last season, his college position, instead of moving him to off-ball linebacker, and it’s a decision that paid major dividends. Herbig turned into a solid rotational pass rusher for the Steelers. Heading into 2024, Herbig will have a bigger role, moving up from the No. 4 OLB to No. 3 on the depth chart, and SI’s Connor Orr listed him as the most underrated Steelers player ahead of the season.
“Mostly a rotational player, Herbig may have led the league last year in plays made where someone quickly pulls out their phone to Google: Who the hell is this guy? Herbig played mostly on special teams and logged roughly 200 total defensive snaps. But I’d argue that having a font of these skilled pass rushers and hybrid edge-type players is critical to what Mike Tomlin wants to do defensively and is a necessary insurance for the Steelers’ most valuable player, T.J. Watt. Herbig has really fast hands and showed well against big, physical offensive lines. Despite a (relatively) slender-looking frame, he plays much larger than he really is and doesn’t shy away from physical contact. He had three sacks, five tackles for loss, and three QB hits despite not starting a single game last year,” Orr wrote.
Herbig is listed at just 6-2 and 240 pounds, which is small for an EDGE in Pittsburgh. However, his burst off the edge helped him force two fumbles last season in addition to his three sacks and five TFLs. With his role increasing this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Herbig potentially double his sack total and become even more productive for the Steelers in his second season.
After the rookie season that Herbig had, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he wound up as a starter for most teams. However, with Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt, two of the best pass-rushers in football, Herbig will once again play a rotational role. As Orr said, though, having someone like Herbig who can steal some snaps from Watt will be important as he gets older, as the Steelers want him healthy and at his best on the field. Having good, reliable depth with someone like Herbig will become more important as Watt gets older.
Herbig also learned a lot from Watt and Highsmith, learning new pass rush moves, in particular Highsmith’s potent spin move. What will be interesting this season is if Herbig’s special teams snaps are reduced. Last season, he played 352 special teams snaps, but with a bigger role on defense, that number could go down. However, Herbig excelled on special teams last season, and the Steelers could still use him there to keep those units strong.
Regardless, 2024 is going to be a big season for Nick Herbig as he looks to impress in a bigger role and help Pittsburgh’s pass rush remain one of the best in the league, and there’s little doubt that he’s a bit underrated by the national media and the rest of the league.
