Steelers LB Nick Herbig Drawing Ultimate Comparison

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have a sleeping giant at edge rusher.

Nov 12, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) stretches before playing the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports / Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- As if having two impact rushers off the edge wasn't enough for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a sophomore leap from Nick Herbig could turn the position room into a three-headed monster.

Alex Highsmith, who alongside T.J. Watt makes up arguably the best pass rush duo in the NFL, thinks Herbig is going to crash the party this season and become yet another disruptor for the Steelers' defense that is going to keep opposing quarterbacks up at night.

Highsmith didn't just stop there, however. In an appearance on The Christian Kuntz Podcast, he compared Herbig to Watt, stating that he's beyond his years and is showing flashes of dominance typical of a game-wrecking player at such an early stage in his career.

"The way he rushes, you see a lot of T.J. in him," Highsmith said. "His IQ of the game and how smart he is, too. Just, his get-off is crazy. Got a bunch of moves, especially for a guy who's that early in his career. Even coming in last year as a rookie, it's like 'He has so many moves,' and it's just going to get better and better."

Much like Watt, Herbig played his college ball at Wisconsin, where he registered 21 sacks over 31 games from 2020 to 2022. Pittsburgh selected him No. 132 overall in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and it's quickly looking like a steal of a pick.

Among Steelers edge rushers last season, Herbig finished fourth in total snaps behind Watt, Highsmith and Markus Golden. His impact was apparent nonetheless, however, as he finished with three sacks, two forced fumbles and eight pressures across 74 pass rush reps.

Herbig was among the most impressive players on Pittsburgh's roster this summer. He made the most of his limited opportunities throughout the preseason after a standout training camp, collecting four sacks and six pressures over 22 pass rush snaps.

As the clear-cut No. 3 edge rusher, Herbig should see a steady increase in his playing time in 2024. While it's obviously unfair to expect him to produce at the level of a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate like Watt, all signs are still pointing to a breakout campaign for him.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more.

• Steelers Sign Seven Players to Practice Squad
• Jaguars Sign Former Steelers QB John Rhys Plumlee
• Steelers Name Russell Wilson Starting QB
• Steelers Bring Back Former Cardinals RB
• Stephen A. Smith Slams Steelers QB Justin Fields