Games Watched: Iowa (2021), Michigan (2021)
Best Game: Iowa (2021)
Worst Game: Michigan (2021)
First Step: Herbig has a great first step despite not possessing the body length to create long strides into his arc. He does a good job manipulating his spacing with quick, choppy movements and can quickly carry that initial burst throughout his rush. Herbig can be a consistent threat to win with speed around the edge and set up power rushers with that speed he has generated.
Bend: Herbig displays a good amount of bend despite a denser, more tightly packed frame. While not elite, Herbig can uncoil at his ankles/hips at the top of his arc to follow through his rushes. He has little trouble swapping gaps with his bend and has plenty of flexibility to work his way through space in coverage situations.
Hand Usage: Herbig impressed me with how he was able to manipulate offensive linemen with his hands. He has plenty of hand strength and power that allows him to stun opponents at the point of attack in order to work off of blocks with leverage. Despite this, Herbig may struggle with more long-limbed offensive tackles that can manipulate his size to their advantage down the line of scrimmage.
Pass Rush Plan: Herbig is asked to rush a lot from an outside track as a six-technique from a stand-up role. As mentioned previously, he can win with speed around the edge and his initial burst off of the line of scrimmage can help him plenty when setting up his moves. Herbig tends to rely on speed to power but has made a living on utilizing the rip move underneath his opponents and taking advantage of his low center of gravity. He needs to add a few more moves to his game but is already at a great level currently.
Motor/Effort: Elite motor on a down-to-down basis, Herbig can consistently show hustle throughout the down and can play with constant physicality.
Lateral Mobility: Herbig has plenty of lateral agility in spite of his denser, more compact build. He has little issues playing with quickness from gap to gap and can be a threat in the stunt/twist game. Herbig displays enough foot quickness to be trusted with playing snaps in zone coverage and providing consistent plays.
Run Defense/Anchor: Despite his lack of size for the position, Herbig does a good job deconstructing blocks using his hand power and quickness at the point of attack. He’ll struggle versus bigger opponents, however, he can expertly use his lower stature to his advantage. Outside of this, Herbig plays with good vision and does a great job staying true to his keys and allowing plays to develop in front of him.
Athletic Ability: Herbig has plenty of natural athletic traits that can give him a higher ceiling than most. He shows consistent lateral agility skills with good flexibility to sidestep offensive linemen and plays fast and loose through his designated gaps. He can be a little stiff in man coverage however you can trust his ability to play quickly downhill when attacking the ball carrier.
Strength: Herbig has good strength packed into his stocky frame. He can generate plenty of power out of his first step quickness and then back it up while playing stout at the point of attack. He can struggle against bigger offensive linemen, especially some on the interior but is far from a liability in this aspect.
Versatility: Herbig is used as a stand-up edge rusher but has seen time as a stack linebacker. He can be a move chess piece that defensive coaches can get creative with when placing him on the field. However, teams may look down on him due to a lack of a true position.