Nick Herbig may have had the shortest hold-in in NFL history. Missing just one day of mandatory minicamp, Herbig agreed to a four-year, $100 million deal Tuesday to remain with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the long haul. Questions about his role, fit, and rotation with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are valid. Pittsburgh has to figure out how to utilize all three, and Herbig’s massive deal calls Watt and Highsmith’s futures beyond 2026 into some level of question.
Putting all that aside, the Steelers did the smart thing. At a fundamental level, the goal for every team is to draft, develop, and retain. Pittsburgh’s finally getting back to those ways.
For a considerable stretch, that method dried up. Kevin Colbert’s final draft classes didn’t embody that philosophy. First-round picks in 2018 (Terrell Edmunds), 2019 (Devin Bush), 2021 (Najee Harris), and 2022 (Kenny Pickett) had their fifth-year options declined. Only Edmunds made it past four seasons with the team, and he remains one of the NFL’s biggest first round reaches of the last decade. Chase Claypool, the team’s second-round pick and first selection of 2020, didn’t make it through his rookie deal, either.
In 2021, only tight end Pat Freiermuth saw a multi-year second contract. In 2022, none of them did. With TE Connor Heyward’s and WR Calvin Austin III’s offseason exits, that entire class is now gone.
It’s no wonder that Pittsburgh’s success has stagnated. The lifeblood of the organization, the draft, became a messy scattershot of a couple of hits and costly misses. There wasn’t anything meaningful to build upon.
Omar Khan hasn’t been perfect, either. His first selection, OT Broderick Jones, is looking like a miss. The bulk of his ’23 class, though, looks strong. That includes Herbig, a fourth-round pick who’s now a $100 million player.
It’s as much a success story for Herbig as it is for Khan. From the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi, he made his mark at Wisconsin with 20 sacks in his last two years. There were big questions about whether he could replicate that in the NFL. A lack of size and bulk made many, including us, project him to play inside. Too small and not stout to set the edge against the run.
Pittsburgh seemingly had the same concern. At Herbig’s 2023 Pro Day, the Steelers sent inside linebackers coach Aaron Curry to his Badgers workout. When Herbig got drafted, he thought he would play inside linebacker until Denzel Martin, the outside linebackers coach, got on the phone to congratulate him.
About that draft call. One of the best. Herbig’s passion and gratitude shined through at his big draft party.
It also kept him with Wisconsin teammate and great friend Keeanu Benton. And for a time, to play with his brother, Nate. A special moment for the Herbig family.
Herbig’s career didn’t peak on draft day. He took advantage of playing behind two excellent rushers in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Before the first practice horn every day at training camp, Herbig practically glued himself to Watt as they worked on hand usage and rush drills. Herbig developed a spin move perfected from Highsmith.
He looked leaguewide for more ideas, channeling one inside counter from J.J. Watt, Chandler Jones, and Markus Golden (who was briefly his teammate in 2023). Herbig’s speed rush move is potent, and he uses his lack of size to his advantage. Tall tackles have a hard time getting their hands on him when he dips the edge.
Herbig holds his own against the run. It might not be quite as stout as Watt or Highsmith, and Herbig does it a little differently. Knifing through and slipping around blocks to make plays instead of anchoring. But he isn’t reckless and makes plenty of impact moments against the run. It’s an underrated and overlooked part of his game.
Pittsburgh had the foresight to keep him at outside linebacker. Giving him the chance to play the position he thrived at in college until he proves he can’t. Most teams would’ve moved him right away.
The Steelers know the makeup of a 3-4 rusher better than anyone. It’s one benefit of having the same structure since the 80s. The traits that made Greg Lloyd great are the same that made Joey Porter Sr. great, that made James Harrison great, that made T.J. Watt great, that make Herbig so effective. Even if each player is a little different stylistically.
Pittsburgh’s outside linebacker position is muddied. The rotation isn’t clear. It could become a full-blown committee, even including Watt, as the team reduces his workload to keep him healthy and effective.
That obstacle wasn’t going to prevent Khan from getting a deal done and risk a talented player like Herbig hitting free agency. Keep the good players at premium positions. Do that, and a good roster will get built.
Draft. Develop. Retain. That’s the goal. Herbig is the first of the ’23 class. He won’t be the last. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. could soon follow. Tight end Darnell Washington is likely to get done. Don’t even count out DL Keeanu Benton. As we wrote on Monday, the offensive line will be up next offseason. That mantra will continue and bodes well for Pittsburgh’s long-term success.
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