Steelers' Nick Herbig Has Savage Comeback For Those Who Questioned His Size Coming Into The League

The Pittsburgh Steelers significantly changed the trajectory of the organization with their impressive draft class in 2023. Broderick Jones headlines that class, but the real value comes later on. Pittsburgh significantly upgraded their defense by selecting Joey Porter Jr., Keeanu Benton, and Nick Herbig. All three of those defenders managed to make an impact during their rookie years, and each are looking to take a significant step forward as they enter their second season.

The Steelers selected Herbig in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin, which also produced Benton and arguably the best pass rusher in the league, TJ Watt. Herbig stood out at outside linebacker in limited playing time during his rookie year. His size has often been questioned, as he isn't the prototypical edge rusher in the NFL. He was being ridiculed by Jersey Jerry after the two played golf on the most recent episode of the Steel Here podcast, and Herbig fired back at the co-host.

"That's crazy Jerry, that's crazy. I thought we disclosed information that day that wasn't going to be disclosed elsewhere. But dynamite comes in small packages, come on."

Herbig's size was one of the biggest knocks on him when he was coming out of college. The outside linebacker stands at 6'2", 240 pounds, and there was even some talk about him transitioning to inside linebacker once he got to the league. Herbig was even talking to the Steelers during the pre-draft process about playing inside linebacker, which he explained in the interview.

"I really thought I was going to play inside linebacker 'cause that was like my whole pre-draft process, it was like gearing up to play inside backer at the next level because of my size or whatever. I actually had my Pro Day workout, was with our inside backer coach Aaron Curry, and we're watching all like inside backer tape. I got the call on draft day and it was Omar [Khan] and he was like, 'I'm going to give you to your position coach Denzel Martin.' I was like, 'Who's that?'"

Aaron Curry is Pittsburgh's inside linebacker coach, so obviously the organization had some interest in him playing there early on. This was when the Steelers had an obvious weakness at the position, before Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, or Kwon Alexander arrived. Maybe he wasn't very good as an inside linebacker, or he was too good as an edge rusher, because he was quickly handed over to Outside Linebackers Coach Denzel Martin. 

Keeping Herbig at his natural position is proving to pay off for the Steelers. He provided a shock of electricity every time he walked on the field in 2023, and he has certainly earned himself more playing time in 2024 after his tremendous training camp and preseason performances. The second-year player recorded two sacks in the preseason finale, and is ready to carry that kind of success into the regular season.

Steelers' Nick Herbig Helped Pittsburgh Punch Their Ticket To The Postseason

After a late-season losing skid, the Steelers needed to win their last three games of the season to give themselves their best chance of making the playoffs. They managed to do so, but Herbig was a big factor in that. In Pittsburgh's Week 17 game against the Seattle Seahawks, he managed to sack Geno Smith and pry the ball lose at the same time.

This occurred with just over seven minutes left in the game as the Steelers were up by seven points. Herbig recovered the fumble himself inside of the red zone, which set the offense up to get points and grow the lead to two possessions. This play gave the Steelers a cushion to help them secure a victory and lock up the seventh seed in the AFC.

What do you think about Herbig's comment on his size? Would he have made a good inside linebacker? Let us know in the comments below!

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