Steelers pass rusher named as teams most underrated player despite unremarkable rookie season

Typically, when you say someone is underrated, it's because they produce at a level that doesn't garner the attention it deserves.

But for 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Nick Herbig, most of his production came via special teams, as the rookie allocated only three sacks and 27 tackles as a rotational pass rusher.

Yet Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated called him the Steelers' most underrated player, and he might be right.

Is Nick Herbig the most underrated player on the team?

Mostly a rotational player, Herbig may have led the league last year in plays made where someone quickly pulls out their phone to Google: Who the hell is this guy? Herbig played mostly on special teams and logged roughly 200 total defensive snaps, but I’d argue that having a font of these skilled pass rushers and hybrid edge-type players is critical to what Mike Tomlin wants to do defensively and is a necessary insurance for the Steelers’ most valuable player, T.J. Watt. Herbig has really fast hands and showed well against big, physical offensive lines. Despite a (relatively) slender looking frame, he plays much larger than he really is and doesn’t shy away from physical contact. He had three sacks, five tackles for loss and three QB hits despite not starting a single game last year.

- Connor Orr, Sports Illustrated

Now, there's an argument that Alex Highsmith, who actually starts at pass rusher, or Larry Ogunjobi along the defensive line are the team's most underrated players, but I can see what Orr is saying, and here's why.

T.J. Watt's usage rate is sky-high. He played 82% of the team's defensive snaps in 2023, second to only Patrick Peterson. That cannot be sustained if Pittsburgh wants to keep Watt firing on all cylinders and available for when they need him most.

But if you're going to take arguably the best defender on the planet off the field, you better have a good backup plan, and Pittsburgh believes they do with Nick Herbig.

Herbig came into the league already refined in his technique, which is a rarity among unseasoned pass rushers. Needing to add weight and power, Herbig has done that while debunking size concerns and menacing defenses in last year's preseason.

If Pittsburgh is going to see the playoffs, they need another star-studded season from T.J. Watt. For that to happen, he needs to be healthy, and fresh. That's where Herbig comes in, and that's why he could be the Steelers' most underrated player.

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