The Pittsburgh Steelers received quite a bit of criticism on Thursday night following their first-round 2026 NFL Draft pick of Max Iheanachor. Regardless of whether or not they reached for that pick at 21st overall, they did need offensive line help ahead of the 2026 season. General Manager Omar Khan still has his work cut out for him, however. After just missing out on wide receiver Makai Lemon to the cross-state rival Philadelphia Eagles, Khan needed to rebound on night two. The team ended up trading three picks to the Indianapolis Colts while trading up and using one to select wide receiver Germie Bernard.
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Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard (5).
Pittsburgh sent picks 53, 135, and 237 to Indianapolis in exchange for the 47th overall pick and pick 249, using the 47th pick to select the University of Alabama standout. On Saturday morning, Jordan Reid of ESPN discussed what Bernard will bring to the table for the team in 2026. From the sounds of it, Bernard will be a perfect complement to the wide receiver room in the Steel City.
"The second pick that I loved yesterday was Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard going to the Pittsburgh Steelers at number 47 overall," Reid said. "They needed a number-three receiver. Germie Bernard is one of those guys that just loves to roll his sleeves up and do a lot of the dirty work. He's going to be a really good run blocker and also, he catches everything that comes his direction, so I love the fit personally from a culture standpoint and what he brings to the table."
One thing that new head coach Mike McCarthy needed was weapons on offense. McCarthy comes from a background of coaching many successful NFL quarterbacks, including Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre, as well as Joe Montana. Khan and the front office were busy during the free agency period last month, but the team still needs to land potential playmakers in the draft. While that can be successful by bringing in playmakers from other organizations via other forms of acquisitions, sooner or later you have to hit on some draft picks.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan in the team's war room during the 2025 NFL Draft.
Bernard is extremely versatile and viewed as a Swiss Army Knife-type of player. While he was great at running routes, Alabama Head Coach Kalen DeBoer also mentioned that Bernard raised his game as a run-blocker. Bernard collected 862 yards receiving in 2025, good for 13.5 yards per reception. For a wide receiver that is not known for getting downfield, but rather his route-running ability, that number speaks volumes to what he can do after the catch when the ball is in his hands.
Steelers' Wide Receiver Room Is Rounding Out For 2026
Following Khan's previous trade with the Colts for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to help take attention off of DK Metcalf, Bernard comes in as a perfect complementary addition to the wide receiver room. Metcalf and Pittman are both known as big-bodied receivers. Now the organization has their guy that can go underneath to keep defenses honest in Bernard.
Another area in which Bernard showcased his playmaking ability was on the ground in 2025. While it was not a huge sample size, Alabama did use Bernard as a running back at times throughout the season. Bernard had 18 carries for 101 yards on the ground, good for a total of 5.6 yards per carry. Bernard also added two rushing touchdowns during his time at the position last season.
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Steelers' Germie Bernard warms up at his Pro Day in 2026.
It was noted heading into the draft that Pittsburgh had not hit on recent draft picks and their failures of late were exposed. By the sounds of it with Reid's comments, however, Bernard was an excellent move to right the ship. With Khan trading up to get Bernard, it is possible they would not have seen him on the board at 53, but it seems as if they may have finally gotten their guy.
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