When the Pittsburgh Steelers released their initial depth chart, sharp-eyed fans quickly noticed an unusual alignment: three outside linebackers listed as starters alongside just one safety. While official depth charts can often be cosmetic, the move signals a genuine, creative blueprint to maximize pass rusher Nick Herbig.
Despite playing behind elite edge defenders T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, Herbig has consistently proven too explosive to keep off the field. Rather than keeping him strictly in a rotational role, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is finding innovative ways to engineer starter-level snaps for the second-year playmaker.
Post-Gazette beat writer Ray Fittipaldo highlighted this unique defensive wrinkle during an appearance
on 93.7 The Fan.
"Yeah, I'm gonna say Nick," Fittipaldo noted when asked which player could deliver a surprise standout performance. "I just think they're gonna find ways to get that guy snatched. I'm sure you guys noticed he was listed on the depth chart as a starter. Now, they listed three outside linebackers and one safety."
To make that hybrid front work without sacrificing structural balance, the coaching staff plans to move Herbig around the formation to exploit mismatch opportunities.
"I think their point is that that he's going to they're going to find ways to get him starter snaps, whether that's a more liberal rotation with Alex Highmith and T.J. Watt or lining him up on the inside at inside linebacker and some of those formations that I think the fans, you know, will get to see with some regularity on Sunday," Fittipaldo explained.
Herbig demonstrated elite efficiency as a pass rusher when given opportunities last season. If his rotational snaps increase alongside these specialized inside linebacker packages, his production could surge dramatically. If you extrapolate his per-snap impact over a full starter workload, Herbig possesses clear double-digit sack and Pro Bowl-caliber potential in Pittsburgh’s reimagined defense.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers depth chart reveals bold plan to unlock Nick Herbig
