{"id":849692,"date":"2026-04-02T17:39:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T17:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/849692\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T17:39:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T17:39:21","slug":"vikings-labeled-perfect-spot-for-2nd-round-wr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/849692\/","title":{"rendered":"Vikings Labeled Perfect Spot for 2nd-Round WR"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s unclear if the Minnesota Vikings will use 2nd-Round draft capital on a wide receiver after spending a 3rd-Rounder on Tai Felton last year, in addition to employing Justin <\/a>J<\/a>efferson<\/a> and Jordan Addison. But according to ESPN\u2019s Benjamin Solak, if Minnesota splurges, Alabama\u2019s Germie Bernard<\/a> would be a great fit.<\/p>\n

Minnesota could target Bernard if it wants a safer, ready-made WR3 type with room to climb.<\/p>\n

Bernard ranks No. 55 on the Consensus Big Board<\/a>, with the draft just three weeks out.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Bernard Brings Route Precision and Immediate Depth Appeal<\/p>\n

Get to know Bernard from Alabama.<\/p>\n

\"Germie<\/p>\n

Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard (5) loosens up on the field during pregame routines ahead of a conference matchup, getting timing and footwork dialed in with teammates as the Crimson Tide prepares for kickoff Oct 11, 2025, at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri, against the Missouri Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

Solak: Vikings Make Sense for Bernard<\/p>\n

Solak constructed an \u201cAll-Film\u201d team this week, players who stand out strictly when evaluating footage. Bernard made the cut at wide receiver, with the Vikings receiving a mention as a landing spot.<\/p>\n

He explained<\/a>, \u201cBernard is unlikely to become a volume-dominant WR1 at the NFL level, nor will he fill the ever important WR2\/WR3 role of big-play merchant. But for those teams that want to field three receivers, Bernard\u2019s dirty work will maximize the wideouts who are in those roles. Because he has good hands and runs good routes, he still can punish defenses who forget about him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

\u201cBernard led the Tide in receptions in each of the past two seasons \u2014 his only two with the team after transferring in from Washington \u2014 which speaks to his reliability and QB friendliness. Think about what Jauan Jennings has been for the 49ers over the past few seasons. That\u2019s the sort of role Bernard can fill right away, with the potential to become a Jakobi Meyers<\/a>-esque stick mover over time. Bernard to the Bears or Vikings on Day 2? Perfect fits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Draft attention for Minnesota at wide receiver has spiked in the last month after last year\u2019s WR3, Jalen Nailor, left the team for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.<\/p>\n

The Scouting Report<\/p>\n

Bernard is 6\u20191\u2033 and 200 pounds with 4.48 speed. He\u2019s known for his route-running, hands, and deep-ball tracking. His long speed is middle of the road, and he must work on his contested-catch skill set.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

NFL Draft Buzz\u2018s Wyatt Brooks on Bernard<\/a>: \u201cBernard is the kind of receiver who is going to make a quarterback\u2019s life easier from Day 1. He knows where to be, he knows when to be there, and he is going to come down with the football when it arrives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat kind of trust and timing translates immediately to the pro level, especially on third downs and in the red zone where precision matters more than pure speed. His route-running toolkit is refined enough to win against man coverage despite modest athletic traits, and his feel for finding soft spots against zone is well beyond his years. He plays the game two steps ahead of what his body might suggest on paper.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Crimson Tide alumnus racked up 862 receiving yards last year on 64 catches, with 9 total touchdowns.<\/p>\n

Bernard continued, \u201cThe best fit for Bernard is an offense that prioritizes the short-to-intermediate passing game and values receivers who can win from multiple alignments. His ability to operate inside and outside without missing a beat gives a play-caller flexibility in how they deploy him, and his willingness to put his nose in there as a run blocker adds a dimension that a lot of similarly skilled receivers simply will not give you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

\u201cA scheme that moves him around, uses option routes, and asks him to read coverages on the fly will get the most out of his football intelligence. West Coast principles, RPO-heavy attacks, or any system that features timing and anticipation throws will suit him well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vikings May Need Another WR if They Don\u2019t Trust Felton<\/p>\n

Less than one year ago, the Vikings drafted Felton from Maryland<\/a> in the 3rd Round, a spot in the draft where a man should reasonably expect to contribute sooner rather than later. Instead, Felton barely played on offense as a rookie, involved in special teams, but that was about it.<\/p>\n

\"Germie<\/p>\n

Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard (5) advances the ball during early offensive action, accelerating through space as defenders close in and the Crimson Tide settle into rhythm against a nonconference opponent Sep 6, 2025, at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, facing the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

And after Jefferson and Addison on the depth chart<\/a>, there is no other WR3 contender, aside from Felton, making a pick like Bernard easier to understand. Selecting Bernard or one of his mid-round peers probably boils down to whether the Vikings planned for a Felton redshirt year in 2025 or if he\u2019s just a wasted draft pick by ex-boss Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

The Other Day 2 WR Options<\/p>\n

Pretend for a moment that Minnesota does not envision Felton as the WR3 in 2026 or beyond, and Bernard doesn\u2019t move the needle for the front office. These are the rest of the Day 2 (Rounds 2 and 3) options at wide receiver per the Consensus Big Board:<\/p>\n

Chris Brazzell \u2014 WR, Tennessee<\/p>\n

Chris Bell \u2014 WR, Louisville<\/p>\n

Germie Bernard \u2014 WR, Alabama<\/p>\n

Antonio Williams \u2014 WR, Clemson<\/p>\n

Zachariah Branch \u2014 WR, Georgia<\/p>\n

Malachi Fields \u2014 WR, Notre Dame<\/p>\n

Elijah Sarratt \u2014 WR, Indiana<\/p>\n

Ted Hurst \u2014 WR, Georgia State<\/p>\n

Skyler Bell \u2014 WR, UConn<\/p>\n

Bryce Lance \u2014 WR, North Dakota State<\/p>\n

Deion Burks \u2014 WR, Oklahoma<\/p>\n

\"Germie<\/p>\n

Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard (5) crosses into the end zone for a pivotal fourth-quarter touchdown, finishing a scoring drive that helped swing momentum in a high-stakes conference title clash Dec 6, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that Minnesota recently met with Hurst<\/a> from Georgia State.<\/p>\n

On Bernard, he\u2019ll turn 23 in December.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s unclear if the Minnesota Vikings will use 2nd-Round draft capital on a wide receiver after spending a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":849693,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2073],"tags":[220,6959,406,44549,7,26718,3973,10117,8265,393,27002,233,259,2529,7206,6,1221,526,234,1473],"class_list":{"0":"post-849692","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-minnesota-vikings","8":"tag-49ers","9":"tag-antonio-williams","10":"tag-crimson-tide","11":"tag-deion-burks","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-germie-bernard","14":"tag-jalen-nailor","15":"tag-jauan-jennings","16":"tag-jordan-addison","17":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","18":"tag-malachi-fields","19":"tag-minnesota","20":"tag-minnesota-vikings","21":"tag-minnesotavikings","22":"tag-missouri-tigers","23":"tag-nfl","24":"tag-tai-felton","25":"tag-tennessee","26":"tag-vikings","27":"tag-wide-receiver"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116336339734203860","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=849692"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849692\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/849693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=849692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=849692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=849692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}