If the preseason is any indication, Pittsburgh Steelers’ second-year outside linebacker Nick Herbig is poised for a big 2024 season for the Black and Gold.
The only problem is, Herbig finds himself behind an elite outside linebacker in T.J Watt, and a Pro Bowl-caliber complement in Alex Highsmith on the other side. So, snaps will be limited for the Wisconsin product.
But that doesn’t matter to ESPN’s Seth Walder, who believes that the second-year pass rusher is poised for a breakout season and predicted that Herbig will record 7 sacks this season for the Steelers as that rotational depth piece.
“Nick Herbig’s breakout is coming, and the linebacker will record at least 7.0 sacks this season,” Walder writes regarding Herbig for ESPN.com. “Among pass rushers with between 40 and 150 pass rushes from the edge with a win or a loss (essentially nonstarters), Herbig ranked second in pass rush win rate at the position at 26%. He’s behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, but I think he’ll produce when given a chance.”
During the preseason, Herbig was again an elite-level pass rusher, dominating in limited action.
Herbig posted an elite-level score of 93.1 overall for the three preseason games, according to Pro Football Focus, including a stellar 97.0 to close out the preseason in the 24-17 loss to the Detroit Lions.
His preseason grade of 93.1 overall included a 92.6 pass rush grade and a 68.7 run defense grade, with the pass rush very clearly being Herbig’s strong suit right now. In the preseason, Herbig played just 32 snaps defensively. He parlayed that into 3.5 sacks, 6 total pressures and a forced fumble.
Against the Lions, Herbig played just 9 snaps defensively and generated 3 pressures and 2 sacks, including a strip-sack of Detroit quarterback Hendon Hooker, leading to a Dean Lowry fumble recovery. He was downright dominant against the Lions and has many clamoring for more snaps from the Wisconsin product.
That could come in the form of a 3-OLB set at times defensively, getting him on the field with Watt and Highsmith, on top of rotating in to help keep the duo fresh throughout games and the season.
For that breakout from Herbig to occur, he’ll need to see the field on a consistent basis. Last season as a rookie, Herbig saw just 191 snaps for the Steelers, but he had an elite pass-rush win rate of 26%, as Walder points out. Could the Steelers find another 100 or so snaps for Herbig defensively, pushing him near 300 on the year?
Based on Herbig’s performance in the preseason and how impactful he was in limited snaps last year, especially late in the season, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and head coach Mike Tomlin should be able to find a way to get him a consistent 15-20 snaps per game, mainly in pass rush situations, too. He saw just 76 snaps rushing the passer as a rookie, limiting his overall impact.
Entering his second lap around the track, it’s very clear that Herbig is a handful for offensive linemen. Move him around, let him hunt in passing situations, and potentially be rewarded in the process.
