Two rookies make it into PFF’s Steelers top 5, Nick Herbig is once again “Elite” in Week 13.

One or two top performances in a season can be a coincidence. With Nick Herbig we are far beyond that. PFF released its top five Steelers from Week 13 and Herbig topped the list.

He’s only in his second season and has only made five starts in the NFL, but Herbig is already among the league’s elite as an outside linebacker.

For the fourth time in just eight games this season, Herbig recorded an “Elite” game grade of over 90.0 from Pro Football Focus. Against the Bengals, he was graded with an overall grade of 91.9, including four total pressures, two tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.

He was the highest-graded Steeler in the win, powered by a pass-rush grade of 93.8.

Herbig was just half a point shy of an “elite” overall grade for the season, but this game put him over the top. He now has an overall defensive grade of 91.0 this year and has moved up from No. 6 EDGE defenseman to No. 5.

TJ Watt is the No. 2 prospect behind Aidan Hutchinson, so the Steelers now have two edge rushers in the top five, according to Pro Football Focus ratings. Alex Highsmith is also number 13 on the list with an overall grade of 83.5. He struggled with injuries for most of the season, with groin problems dating back to preseason. Make no mistake, the Steelers have the best group of pass rushers in the entire league, especially with veteran Preston Smith rounding out the group.

Herbig had four forced fumbles, one in each of the last three games. His game-changing plays aren’t just an anomaly, they’re a feature of his game. That makes six forced fumbles for his career and 7.5 sacks.

Along with Herbig, ILB Payton Wilson recorded the second-best grade of his career with an overall defense grade of 82.2. He scored a touchdown after Herbig’s forced fumble, but also had three total tackles.

Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton rounded out the Steelers’ top five this game on the defensive side of the ball. Heyward had a score of 79.7 while Benton had a score of 78.9. Heyward had one sack and five total pressures. He also hit a ball that was eventually intercepted by Donte Jackson. Benton had one of the better games of his season with a total of three presses.

The only Steelers offensive player to make the PFF list was rookie OG Mason McCormick with a rating of 79.6. With a run-blocking grade of 75.7 and a pass-blocking grade of 79.2, he performed exceptionally well in both phases. He didn’t allow pressure and still hasn’t allowed a sack in 10 games this season. He continues to look like a steal in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.