Steelers Rookie Nick Herbig Stakes Out A Claim On The Edge In Impressive Day 1 Performance

Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan changed the way the Steelers do business this offseason. Khan signed older free agents in bulk. He also traded up in the first round of the NFL Draft with the New England Patriots to get the future franchise left tackle in Broderick Jones. Khan was not done; he flipped the Steelers' third-round pick to the Carolina Panthers for both a third and fourth-round selection.

The mountain better known as tight end Darnell Washington arrived when the Steelers finally picked in the third round. Washington has drawn significant interest during the offseason and fans can’t wait to see if his size transforms the running game in 2023. The former Georgia Bulldog should become a key piece of the offensive attack as a blocker, and hopefully a pass catcher.

In the fourth round, the Steelers took on an undersized edge rusher Nick Herbig. Herbig was the second Wisconsin Badgers player that Khan, Andy Weidl, and Mike Tomlin tapped for the defense in the 2023 draft. They selected defensive tackle Keeanu Benton with their second pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Herbig was a highly effective edge rusher in college, but his smaller stature suggested he would move inside in the NFL. After his first training camp practice, a move inside might not be what the Steelers' front office had in mind when they picked him. 

SteelerNation's Managing Editor Brandon Wallace (TwitterX: @BWall) attended the first day of training camp and immediately noticed the rookie edge rusher. The Steelers have invested a significant amount of money in TJ Watt who mentored Herbig while he was at Wisconsin, and the newly extended Alex Highsmith. They are both locked up for the next few years contractually, but Pittsburgh desperately needs depth on the edge. According to several other observers, they may have finally found it.

Chris Carter from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette joined the Paul Zeise show on 93.7 FM to share his thoughts on the practice field action. Carter also was very impressed by what he saw on Thursday.  

"Nick Herbig, no pads on, he was getting after it," Carter observed. "He was looking kind of quick off the ball. I am eager to see what he looks like when the pads go on."

It is hard to judge an edge rusher in shorts and a helmet. Herbig's exceptional burst without pads was very noticeable and made a big impression. If that jump translates to practice production, it could provide a long-term answer in a formidable edge rotation for the Pittsburgh defense. 

Steelers Rumored To Have Significant Interest In Bringing Chase Young To Pittsburgh

The Steelers' defense is drawing early rave reviews from Carter for being a highly flexible unit. The front office seems determined to build a defense that does not center around the presence of the former 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year. They have apparently even explored the idea of trading for Chase Young to solidify the edge rotation. Carter expounded on how important Watt's health has been since the Steelers drafted him. 

"Paul, I'll put it this way, even beyond just the defense, when TJ Watt starts for the Steelers, they win 69 percent of the time. When he doesn't start, they win nine percent of the time. That is a drastic drop."

Watt missed seven games in 2022 and the Steelers were 1-6 without him. The last time the Steelers had meaningful depth at the edge was in 2020 with Highsmith backing up Bud Dupree and Watt. Pittsburgh went 12-4 and won the division. The last two seasons have seen a steady rotation of players who came and went from that spot. If Herbig is the solution as a third edge, trading any draft capital for a rental on Young might be off the table. 

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Should the Steelers give Herbig every opportunity to join the rotation before seeking any trade? Please comment below, or on my TwitterX @thebubbbasq. 

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