Steelers draft grades: Pittsburgh steals the show in the 2023 NFL Draft
By Tommy Jaggi
Round 4 (pick 132): OLB Nick Herbig
It was not hard to follow the breadcrumbs to Nick Herbig joining the Pittsburgh Steelers. Much like Connor Heyward last year, Herbig already had connections as his older brother, offensive guard Nate Herbig, was signed by Pittsburgh this offseason.
The difference here is that Nick Herbig was considered a much more highly-touted prospect than Connor Heyward. Some draft analysts even had a second-round grade on him prior to the NFL Combine. Herbig didn't test as a bad athlete (77th percentile among edge defenders), but his size is concerning.
As a pass rusher off the edge, Herbig is just 6'2'' and 240 pounds with 31 1/4'' arms. Because of this, many believe he will need to make the switch to a true off-ball linebacker in the NFL, as he simply may not have the frame to hold up on the edge full-time.
Teryl Austin noted that the team is going to start him off as an outside linebacker. I'm not confident that Herbig's traits are going to translate well to the NFL stage, but he's just a good football player with outstanding TFL and sack production. Herbig was the 64th overall player on PFF's big board, so getting him at pick 132 is an absolute steal.