Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ receiver room is more promising now than it was at this time last year. With DK Metcalf back in the fold, Mike McCarthy’s team traded for Michael Pittman Jr. before selecting Germie Bernard in the second round of April’s 2026 NFL Draft.
NFL Draft on SI’s Justin Melo tabbed Bernard as his No. 22 rookie heading into the upcoming season. He was the eighth wideout taken off the board — behind Carnell Tate (Tennessee), Jordyn Tyson (New Orleans), Makai Lemon (Philadelphia), KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston (Cleveland), Omar Cooper Jr. (New York Jets) and De’Zhaun Stribling (San Francisco) — but Melo believes Bernard has a leg up on the others in one skill category.
“Germie Bernard was the savviest route runner in the receiver class, and he’ll do an excellent job working underneath the coverage while DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. play a more vertical game for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Melo wrote.
Bernard led Alabama with 64 receptions and 862 receiving yards last season. He pulled in seven touchdowns during the same campaign, more than he had during his first three college go-rounds combined (six).
“He has good size, accelerates to top speed quickly and is a smooth route runner with well-disguised breaks and clean footwork getting in and out,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in a pre-draft scouting report. “He can line up outside or in the slot and is capable of running a full route tree across all three levels.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: What Quality Does Steelers Germie Bernard Have Over All Other Rookie WRs?
