The Pittsburgh Steelers have received strong performances from all of their defensive rookies this preseason.
But it’s hard to argue that edge rusher Nick Herbig hasn’t stood above the rest. In fact, Herbig may be the most impressive player among all Steelers defenders through the first two weeks of the preseason.
Steelers All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt certainly sang his praises, calling Herbig “a phenomenal player” following the team’s 27-15 victory against the Buffalo Bills on August 19.
“I feel like he’s done a lot of really good things for himself at Wisconsin that’s translating really well [in the NFL],” said Watt to the media.
Watt hasn’t been the only All-Pro caliber player who has noticed Herbig. On Twitter, two-time All-Pro edge rusher Shawne Merriman was complimentary of Herbig’s natural talent after the rookie sacked Bills quarterback Matt Barkley.
“You can’t teach bending the corner like this,” Merriman wrote on Twitter. “You either have it or you don’t.”
In two preseason games, Herbig has 2.5 sacks, 4 solo tackles and 1 forced fumble.
Nick Herbig Showcasing the Depth of Pittsburgh’s Edge Rushers
One could argue the Steelers missed the 2022-23 postseason because of Watt’s injury in Week 1.
Watt sat out seven games in 2022 because of a torn pectoral muscle, which caused him to break his streak of four consecutive seasons with double-digit sacks. He failed to make the All-Pro team for the first time since 2018.
Without Watt, the Steelers posted a 1-6 record.
A healthy Watt in 2023 will significantly help Pittsburgh’s playoff chances. But there’s an early indication that the team’s depth at edge rusher is also better than a year ago.
Alex Highsmith experienced a breakout 2022 season, which means the Steelers enter this fall with a dangerous bookend of pass rushers. Pittsburgh also signed veteran Markus Golden, who had 11 sacks for the Arizona Cardinals in 2021.
But Herbig is quickly becoming a part of the equation as well.
“I think he’s done a lot of good things,” Watt told the media on August 19. “Credit to himself for just being a student of the game and continuing to evolve as a pass rusher and in the run game.”
If Golden and Herbig can make an impact as backups, then Watt and Highsmith could play fewer snaps, particularly in the hotter weather during September.
That will just make Watt and Highsmith even more dangerous in the fourth quarter of games and later in the season.
“As edge rushers in this defense, we can’t play 100% of the snaps,” Watt said. “So, to be able to have guys that we can trust to make plays when we’re not in there, when we’re sitting on the sidelines getting gassed back up to go back in, is huge for our defense. I like the way that our room is shaping up.”
Herbig Earning High Marks From Pro Football Focus
Two games is a small sample, especially when the snaps are limited. But through the first two weeks of the preseason, it’s clear Pittsburgh’s defensive strength is at edge rusher.
Four of the team’s top six performing defensive players this preseason, according to the player grades from Pro Football Focus, are edge rushers. Herbig leads them all with the best overall grade of 90.6.
The only area where Herbig has struggled in the first two preseason games is tackling. PFF awarded him a grade of 55.0 out of 100 in tackling. He has earned a grade of at least 70 in every other defensive category, including a 77.3 pass rush grade.
Cornerback Chandon Sullivan is the only Steelers player with a better PFF pass rushing grade than Herbig this preseason. But Sullivan has recorded only 4 pass-rushing snaps. Herbig has rushed the quarterback on 25 snaps this preseason.
On Pittsburgh’s entire roster, only tight end Connor Heyward and running back Jaylen Warren have earned higher PFF grades this preseason than Herbig.
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T.J. Watt, Former NFL All-Pro Speak Out on Steelers Rookie LB Nick Herbig