In a defense loaded with stars, it can be easy to miss one.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been defined by their defensive front -- from T.J. Watt terrorizing quarterbacks to Alex Highsmith’s edge consistency, Cam Heyward’s interior dominance, and now Jalen Ramsey’s veteran presence on the back end.
But quietly, Nick Herbig has become one of the most disruptive young pass rushers in football, a player who already looks like the next cornerstone in Pittsburgh’s defensive lineage.
Pittsburgh Steelers' Nick Herbig has entered elite pass-rusher territory in 2025
Now in his third season, the hybrid sack artist and former Wisconsin standout has taken a jump. Through eight games in 2025, he's amassed 31 pressures and six sacks, and perhaps more impressively, he hasn’t gone a single game without multiple pressures. That kind of weekly consistency puts him among the league’s most efficient edge defenders, and at just 23 years old, he’s only seemingly just scratching the surface.
What makes Herbig so dynamic is his versatility. Though he’s built more like an off-ball linebacker, he rushes like a true edge defender: explosive burst, violent hands, and a relentless motor.
His first step can win with pure speed, and when tackles begin to overcommit or attempt to jump set him to take away space, he converts speed to power, driving blockers straight into the pocket. That balance of technique and athleticism makes him difficult to scheme against, especially when he’s used in conjunction with Watt or Highsmith on stunts and twists from the outside in.
For Herbig, his growth has been accelerated by his surroundings. Learning under Watt -- a former Badger himself -- has clearly influenced his approach. He plays with a technician’s mindset: calculated, efficient, and rarely out of position.
But he’s also developed his own identity, one defined by effort and creativity. The Steelers’ defensive coaching staff has given him freedom to move across the formation, and he’s answered with production -- blitzing through A and B gaps, setting the edge against the run, and chasing down ball carriers in space.
And overall, the statistical progression tells the story. As a rookie, Herbig totaled 10 pressures and three sacks in limited snaps. Last fall, that number jumped to 27 pressures and seven sacks. This year, through just half the schedule, he’s already surpassed his previous pressure total. So now, the production is catching up to the tape, and the tape has been outstanding.
Herbig may not have the name recognition of Watt or the accolades, but within the Steelers’ defensive machine, he’s becoming one of the key gears that keep it turning. He’s a hybrid weapon who can attack from multiple alignments, win with different moves, and hold up against the run despite his lack of overall mass.
And as Pittsburgh pushes for another postseason berth, Herbig represents not just the present of their defense, but its future -- an ascending player who’s earned his place among the best young pass rushers in football.