Steelers' pass rush phenom earns extraordinary PFF grade in Week 3

The Steelers are 3-0 entering after fending off the LA Chargers in Week 3. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh paid the cost in their home opener as multiple players were bit by the injury bug. One important player who left the contest was edge rusher Alex Highsmith.

After stacking impressive seasons, Highsmith is widely viewed as one of the best No. 2 edge rushers in the league, as he has taken advantage of his matchups with T.J. Watt drawing a majority of attention from the offense.

Surprisingly, there was no drop-off in play when Highsmith went down in Week 3. This speaks to how impressive Nick Herbig was in the Steelers' home opener.

Herbig, a rotational edge rusher, took over for the injured Highsmith and worked as the right outside linebacker opposite Watt. Despite playing just 19 total defensive snaps and rushing the passer eight times, Herbig made his presence felt more than anyone could have predicted.

According to Pro Football Focus, Herbig recorded three pressures and two sacks while winning on 50 percent of his pass rush snaps. His dominance in getting after the quarterback earned him a phenomenal 95.4 pass-rush grade from PFF.

The latest report from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN is that Highsmith will miss 'multiple weeks' with a groin injury, though it's not considered major and he will avoid surgery.

Now it's time for the Nick Herbig show.

Nick Herbig will have a chance to shine for Steelers

Nobody wants to see injuries occur -- especially to a pivotal player like Alex Highsmith. But right now, fans can be thanking front office heads Omar Khan and Andy Weidl for pouncing on Nick Herbig in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Herbig was an extraordinary player at Wisconsin who raked in phenomenal production. Despite his remarkable tape and the fact that he was one of the youngest players entering the draft, Herbig slid all the way to Day 3 due to his small frame and questionable fit with many teams.

This is their loss. So far, Herbig has been nothing but brilliant in a Steelers uniform. Now comes the ultimate test: can he perform as well in a full-time role?

It stands to reason that Herbig could struggle at times as a run defender as an undersized edge rusher, but we've already learned not to underestimate this young man. Following the best performance of his career, Herbig will get a challenging matchup against excellent left tackle Bernhard Raimann in Week 4 when the Steelers travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts.

Nick Herbig already looks like one of the biggest steals from the 2023 draft, and he can give the Steelers confidence knowing they are in good hands until Alex Highsmith returns to the field.