Steelers OG Nate Herbig campaigns for his brother in the upcoming NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers were far more active this week than what many fans and media personnel expected. The team signed a former All-Pro in Patrick Peterson while essentially wiping the slate clean at off-ball linebacker and signed two former team captains in free agency. Pittsburgh also signed a massive offensive guard in Nate Herbig.

Herbig has instantly become a fan-favorite thanks to his bubbly personality, and when you put on the tape and watch him block in the run game, you like him even more. If the last name 'Herbig' sounds familiar, it might be because you've heard of his younger brother.

Nick Herbig is an uber-productive edge defender for the Wisconsin Badgers. Though he's not considered an elite prospect in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, Pro Football Focus currently has him ranked as the 58th overall player on their big board this year.

Shortly after signing with the Steelers, Nate Herbig wasted no time in campaigning for his brother, Nick. Here's a tweet from ESPN's Brooke Pryor during Herbig's first press conference with Pittsburgh:

Ironically enough, the Steelers already had a formal visit with Nick Herbig at the NFL Combine last month. Though Nate is brand new to the team, does this signing help his brother's chances of being drafted by Pittsburgh?

Steelers value strong family bloodlines

The worst-kept secret in the NFL is that Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers clearly value strong family bloodlines. I don't think it's a coincidence that they became the first NFL team ever with three sets of brothers on their team all at the same time.

Between the Watts the Heywards, and the Edmunds, it's easy to make a case for Herbigs. But that's not the only reason they could be interested in drafting Nate's brother.

The Steelers are very familiar with the Wisconsin football program from drafting defenders like T.J. Watt and Isaiahh Loudermilk, so this checks a box already. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh still has a need at both edge defender and linebacker, and you could argue that Nick Herbig could fill a hybrid role at both.

At 6'2 1/8'' and 240 pounds with 31 1/4'' arms, Herbig is very much a tweener body type. Though he certainly doesn't have elite measurables to stick full-time on the edge, the Steelers have ignored some of these in the past.

The good news is that Herbig makes up for some of this with impressive athletic traits. His 1.59 10-yard split puts him in the 87th percentile and his quickness and bend are very evident on tape. In addition to earning 134 tackles, 36 tackles for a loss, and 21 sacks in college, via the UW Badgers website, Herbig also earned an outstanding 87.4 overall grade from PFF this past season.

Herbig is a player who has improved every year and is coming off his most impressive statistical season at just 21 years old. Obviously, a newcomer like Nate Herbig isn't going to have a lot of say in the organization, but Tomlin does value the family bloodlines Nick Herbig is a player they've already met with once. Don't be surprised if the Steelers make this happen at some point in the NFL Draft.