Steelers Rookie Nick Herbig Endearing Himself to Steeler Nation "I Feel That Black And Gold Running Through My Veins"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been finding great pass rushers for years now and they probably found another one in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Nick Herbig was drafted to help bolster the depth at edge rusher. From his college tape, he showed plenty of speed and acceleration off the snap, but fell in the draft due to being undersized. The Steelers have proven to not care much about "undersized players," especially after a 2022 draft where they picked up two undersized players. Size also doesn't have anything to do with destiny.

In his preseason debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Herbig came out with a mix of second/third team defense and showed off his speed off the edge, tallying 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, and a tackle for loss. He had a very strong game and made his case to be the primary backup behind TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith. He had a very efficient, electric start. It was almost too electric; like it was supposed to happen. 

If you asked Herbig, he would agree with that last statement. He believes that being a Steeler was the plan for him all along, even though he didn't know it until recently. After his great preseason game, he answered some questions from the media and told them exactly how he felt about the whole situation. 

“I feel like I was born to be a Steeler. I’m supposed to be here, wearing that Black and Gold. I feel that Black and Gold running through my veins right now. It feels like exactly what God wanted for me.”

What Led The Steelers To Draft Herbig?

If there's one thing that the Steelers love to do, it's double dip in the draft for maximum chemistry. In the second round in 2023, the Steelers selected Keeanu Benton from the Wisconsin Badgers. Two rounds later, the Steelers grab Herbig from the same school. It also helps that, arguably, the greatest defensive player in the NFL, is currently on the Steelers, and he was also a product of Wisconsin. With Watt, Benton, and Herbig all being from the same system, it's easy to see how Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan fell in love with the pick.

If there's a second thing that the Steelers love to do, it's pair up brothers on the same team. In an attempt to mesh with Andy Weidl's philosophy, the Steelers signed Nate Herbig to boost the depth at the interior offensive line. Herbig appears to be the primary backup for all three interior offensive line positions after his showing in the preseason. If the Steelers have one brother, they have to have another one. It only made sense for the Steelers to pursue Nick Herbig in the draft. 

The pick wasn't entirely predictable, however. With the Steelers already having zero picks in the fifth and sixth rounds, Khan got aggressive and traded their fourth-round pick to the New England Patriots to move up in the first round. After the third round, the Steelers didn't have any picks until the final round, until Khan traded down in the third round and picked up another fourth-round pick in the process. Khan proved that he was going to be much more aggressive on the trade market, both going up and down, as opposed to his former boss, Kevin Colbert.

After that, the rest is history. After trading down with the Carolina Panthers, the Steelers drafted Nick Herbig with their newly acquired fourth-round pick and he is proving the front office right on taking a chance on him so far. As far as he's concerned, they were meant to take a chance on him from the start.

What do you think about Herbig's enthusiasm for playing for the Steelers, as well as his path to get to Pittsburgh? Let us know down in the comments.

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