The Jacksonville Jaguars did a good job of addressing the larger scale roster in the 2026 NFL draft. taking care of most roster holes. On the other hand, you could make the case that they didn't do enough to take care of certain needs. For instance, the pass rush was arguably their most glaring issue. Yet, the Jags waited until Rounds 4 and 7 to take Wesley Williams and Zach Durfee, respectively.
Now, there's a chance that Williams and Durfee will turn out to be solid contributors. Heck, the latter is generating lots of hype after earning the Project X moniker. Having said that, it may take them a bit of time to hit their stride, and Jacksonville needs a pass rusher that can make an instant impact.
This is why it's not particularly shocking to see a local Jaguars voice suggest general manager James Gladstone take a bold swing for Nick Herbig.
The Jaguars are being urged to trade for Nick Herbig
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated recently urged the Jaguars to call the Pittsburgh Steelers and trade for Nick Herbig, arguing that he would give their pass rush an immediate boost.
"If there is one potential available veteran who would make sense for the Jaguars to add right now, it would be none other than pass-rush Nick Herbig," Shipley wrote. "Entering his contract season, Herbig has been a part-time player for the Steelers but has had some increasingly productive seasons as a pass-rusher who can provide a spark off the edge."
Later in his proposal, Shipley explains that the Jags haven't brought in a fastball pass rusher on the edge the past two years because they don't want to make concessions against the run. However, he thinks it would make sense for Jacksonville to add a pass rusher at SAM linebacker.
"Like Herbig, Dennis Gardeck is more of a linebacker body type who was able to play early downs for the Jaguars as a strong linebacker before rushing off the edge on third-down. If the Jaguars are going to add an explosive sub-packer pass-rusher, it feels much more likely they would do it at this position, as opposed to at defensive end."
And in case you were wondering, Herbig has been an ascending pass rusher the past few years. A fourth-round pick in 2023, he only had 10 total pressures and three sacks as a rookie. However, the former Wisconsin Badger has seen an uptick in production the last two seasons, racking up a combined 75 total pressures and 15 sacks.
Herbig is now entering a contract year. This is one of the reasons he's been dubbed a potential trade candidate throughout the offseason. However, there haven't been any recent reports that the Steelers are open to trading him. On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt Jacksonville to inquire about his availability.
Why it makes sense for the Jaguars to call the Steelers about Nick Herbig
If Pittsburgh wanted to trade Nick Herbig, it wouldn't come cheap. It would probably cost a second-round selection and possibly a Day 3 pick to get a deal done. Plus, the Jaguars would have to give him a new deal. When you add it all up, that's a lot of resources, but Jacksonville would at last take care of a big need. On the other hand, the move would come with a few drawbacks.
For starters, trading for Herbig would make it more difficult to extend wide receiver Parker Washington, tight end Brenton Strange, and safety Antonio Johnson. Then again, maybe this is why the team's brass drafted Josh Cameron, Nate Boerkircher, and Jalen Huskey to have roster flexibility.
But apart from the financial cost, acquiring Herbig would potentially hinder the development of sophomore Jalen McLeod and rookies Wesley Williams and Zach Durfee, as he would probably take snaps away from them.
Simply put, Nick Herbig would turbocharge the Jacksonville pass rush, and even when you take into account the potential cons, it may be a risk worth taking.
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