Promising Steelers Rookie OLB Starting to Breakout

The Steelers’ defense is a rocky ride, but their edge rushers have played at a high level. T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Markus Golden have played well, but rookie Nick Herbig is still looking to heat up. And over the last two games, the rookie is doing just that. While playing just 21 overall snaps, Herbig has caused havoc up front when in the game.

Nick Herbig over his last two weeks:

– 5 tackles
– 2 TFL
– 2 QB pressures
– 1 sack
– 1 FF

On only 21 snaps. Hard to find time behind Watt and Highsmith but he's making the most of his chances. #Steelers

— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) November 1, 2023

Herbig has forced a fumble, registered his first career sack, and has, overall, come up considerably. Pittsburgh has got Herbig up to speed, and all of a sudden, his preseason is starting to show up in the regular season, too. In that preseason, Herbig racked up 3.5 sacks and became the most productive rookie edge rusher. PFF charted him as having a pass rush win rate of over 25 percent. Those stats and the film lined up to create a player who garnered hype and exceeded it.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig in a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, Aug. 19, 2023. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

“That kid got to bend, man; he can get around that edge,” Golden said. “He can hit any move you want, power, or doing what he wants to do in practice. He has so many moves that he works in practice, taking it over to the game film. He’s fantastic at practicing stuff he can take into the game.”

All veterans love Herbig’s willingness to embrace the knowledge around him. Not all rookies are willing to go up to veterans and ask anything of anyone. But Golden says it’s hard to shake Herbig as a veteran because “you can bet the kid will ask you questions” both on the field and in the film room. That’s the right mentality for someone hoping to impact his rookie season significantly.

So, Pittsburgh hopes to see their young outside linebacker continue to come along. Herbig is playing like a special teams demon, too. The Steelers have a lot of players up front, and Herbig only adds to the depth and rotation up front.