Nick Herbig NFL Draft Scouting Report

EDGE, Wisconsin Badgers

Nick Herbig was a consensus four-star recruit and was named as All-Hawaii Open Division Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. He is also a former two-sport athlete with a basketball background. Herbig became a starting edge defender in the last seven games of his freshman year. He became a terror for opposing offenses in 2021 and that continued this season. His brother, Nate Herbig, plays guard for the New York Jets. Football is clearly in the bloodline. 

Herbig plays with solid power and pop in his hands at the point of attack in the run game. There are reps of him working through opposing offensive linemen to clear his path to the football. He anchors well when facing tight ends in run sequences. Herbig is capable of stacking and shedding those block attempts due to his length and play strength. 

As a pass rusher, Herbig shows a good variety of moves to use at the top of his rush. He has an effective cross-chop, dip/rip, bull rush, and a long-arm with speed-to-power conversion. Herbig shows the knowledge of leveraging as a pass rusher. He sells the outside arc very well. He applies pressure to the OT’s outside should/hip, only to cause an overset that allows him space to work back inside to the QB. His hand usage helps to soften angles to easier paths to the QB. He plays with a tremendous motor that never runs cold. Whether as a backside run defender or pass rusher, Herbig chases plays down from behind.

The conundrum with Herbig is his size profile. He has the skill set of an edge rusher in the body of an off-ball linebacker. Despite the functional play strength, envisioning Herbig playing full-time edge at less than 230 pounds is difficult. He does not offer much positional versatility. Herbig does not have a large number of snaps in coverage throughout his career. On the limited reps in coverage, Herbig showed functional movement skills and lateral mobility. He is not someone I would advise dropping at a frequent rate. This combination can limit his snap count at the next level. Run defense will be a concern for Herbig versus NFL offensive linemen. Can he replicate his block-shedding ability from college to the NFL? That is a difficult question to answer.

Herbig is an intriguing case study due to his overall skill set and size combination. He projects best as a designated pass rusher that comes in on pass-rushing downs. I envision him being a special teamer to bring a consistent impact to the team that drafts him. There is potential for him to become a SAM linebacker. His pass-rush package will be valuable on money downs. His toughness, motor, and leadership will help his transition to the NFL. 

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Sack production (18 in two seasons)
• Pass-rush plan
• Hot motor

Top Reasons For Concern:

• Undersized for his position
• Lacks versatility
• Limited projected NFL role

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 6′ 2”

Weight: 240 lbs

Arm Length: 31 1/4”

Hand Size: 9 1/4”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: 4.65s

Vertical Jump: TBD

Broad Jump: TBD

Short-Shuttle: TBD

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: 25 reps

Ideal Role: Subpackage rusher

Scheme Fit: 3-4 base

TDN Consensus Grade: 74.00/100 (Fourth-Round Value)

• Parson Grade: 74.00/100

Written By: Damian Parson

Exposures: Iowa (2022), Washington St. (2022), Maryland (2022), Nebraska (2022)

Nick Herbig NFL Draft Scouting Report. Add him to your big board here.