The Pittsburgh Steelers liked Germie Bernard enough to trade up for him in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Thus, it’s not surprising they’re expecting the rookie to make an immediate impact. According to Ray Fittipaldo, Bernard looks every bit the part during the first portion of offseason practices.
“From rookie minicamp through the first two weeks of OTAs, I really like what Germie Bernard has done,” Fittipaldo said Friday on 93.7 The Fan. “They are really trying to speed up the process of his learning, his development, because I do think they have designs on getting a lot out of him this year…Bernard’s gonna be the jack of all trades. It just sets up really well for this offense.”
Bernard’s skill set excellently complements DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. That’s mostly because he can do a little bit of everything. His ability to line up out wide or in the slot and get open quickly while still being able to win deep means those two won’t be locked into any sort of specific role. Bernard is garnering some recognition from them, with Metcalf recently singing his praises.
Pittsburgh drafting Germie Bernard so high is also a potential indictment of Roman Wilson. The latter has done well during OTAs, getting plenty of praise from Mike McCarthy earlier this week. Yet, Bernard may have the inside track to the WR3 role.
“That’s not to say they’ve shut the door on Roman Wilson. He’s shown up, he’s trying, he’s doing everything he needs to do to find a niche,” Fittiapldo said. “But I just think Bernard…They have designs on getting him involved and getting him involved pretty quickly.”
Wilson trained with the “route god” this offseason, working on plenty of short and intermediate routes. He believes that’s making him a better receiver, and he’s doing well so far in OTAs. If he can continue to show improvement into training camp, he’ll be in that conversation with Bernard.
Still, the new coaching staff didn’t draft Wilson, but it did select Bernard. Wilson’s inability to make a real impact through two years doesn’t help either. But a new staff can also mean a clean slate. If Wilson can form a better connection with Aaron Rodgers this season, he’ll have a chance to carve out his own role.
Germie Bernard doesn’t have many elite traits. But he has a well-rounded game that should translate well to the NFL. Behind Metcalf and Pittman, he won’t have too much immediate pressure, and his skill set is excellent for a third option. Bernard is already showing that off in practice.