Locked On Steelers: Shaking Out Vet ILBs, Nick Herbig Ceiling?

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered training camp for the 2023 season with two veteran inside linebackers in Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb, and so it was expected that those two would be the team’s starting inside linebackers this season.

Then, the team went out and signed Kwon Alexander as a free agent from the New York Jets. So how do the pieces fit together now? The first depth chart of the 2023 season, released by the team earlier this week, has Holcomb and Roberts listed as the starters. But will that hold until the start of the regular season? Also, where will the team make room for promising second-year player Mark Robinson at that position, and will fourth-round rookie Nick Herbig make an appearance at linebacker or stick on the edge?

Alan Saunders of Steelers Now joined the Locked On Steelers podcast with Chris Carter to to talk about the Steelers linebacker position and how it might shake out between now and the start of the regular season.

Alan and Chris also talked about what Herbig’s ceiling is as an edge rusher and whether or not he can pass Markus Golden to be the primary backup to T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, and how the depth at edge rusher is spilling over to the defensive line, where eight players are putting in strong work for maybe just six or seven spots.

Check out the full archive of appearances of the SN staff on Locked On.