Could Nick Herbig Force Steelers Hand for Playing Time?

The latter part of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 training camp and preseason has seen the defense largely focused on cleaning up the fine details of its sub packages.

The Steelers have been entertaining a furious battle between Chandon Sullivan and Elijah Riley to be the Nickel corner, while also working a package featuring Patrick Peterson in the slot and another with safety Keanu Neal as the fifth defensive back. 

They’ve also been focusing on their dime defense, with Joey Porter Jr., Neal and Kwon Alexander coming onto the field for a six-defensive back, one-linebacker look.

But the play of a couple of Steelers backups might have the team reaching into its old bag of tricks to break out another package they’ve used over the years.

Fourth-round rookie Nick Herbig has been one of the stars of the Steelers preseason, with 2.5 sacks to lead the team through two preseason games. No one else has more than one. Herbig also has two tackles for loss, three hurries, a pass breakup and a force fumble in just 40 total snaps.

RELATED: Steelers Rookie Nick Herbig Earns Impressive Award from PFF

The team’s other top backup at outside linebacker, veteran Markus Golden, has not lit up the stat sheet like Herbig, but has also impressed.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive captain Cam Heyward talks with rookie Nick Herbig at training camp, July 27, 2023. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

For the first time in a while, it seems like the Steelers have some really strong depth behind starters T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

The last time they had three trustworthy options at the position was in the start of the 2021 season, when they have Melvin Ingram behind Watt and Highsmith, and in 2020, when Highsmith was backing up Watt and Bud Dupree.

In both of those seasons, the Steelers utilized a formation that had all three of their top outside linebackers on the field at the same time.

Both Herbig and Golden are slightly undersized for the typical build of their position, but when it comes to adding a third OLB to the scheme, that player is usually slightly off the ball. That’s actually the role that many envisioned for Herbig when he was coming out in the draft.

He’s proven in his short time with the Steelers that he has what it takes to stick at edge rusher, but a three-OLB package could be a way to make sure that the youngster and vet both get enough reps to make an impact behind the stars.