Steelers rising star named one of NFL’s most underrated players

The Pittsburgh Steelers seemed to have found a future star in edge rusher Nick Herbig.

Taken in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin, Herbig made the most of his snaps as a rookie. He had three sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in his first season, as well as five tackles for loss.

This type of production earned Herbig the praise of Connor Orr, who listed the former Badger as one of the NFL’s most underrated players.

“Mostly a rotational player, Herbig may have led the league last year in plays made where someone quickly pulls out their phone to Google: Who the hell is this guy? Herbig played mostly on special teams and logged roughly 200 total defensive snaps, but I’d argue that having a font of these skilled pass rushers and hybrid edge-type players is critical to what Mike Tomlin wants to do defensively and is a necessary insurance for the Steelers’ most valuable player, T.J. Watt. Herbig has really fast hands and showed well against big, physical offensive lines. Despite a (relatively) slender looking frame, he plays much larger than he really is and doesn’t shy away from physical contact. He had three sacks, five tackles for loss and three QB hits despite not starting a single game last year.”- Connor Orr, Sports Illustrated

With more snaps likely in his future this season, Herbig could prove to be a future centerpiece for the Steelers.