Germie Bernard and the Pittsburgh Steelers did not have the most graceful first day of the 2026 NFL Draft, in two very different ways. Many felt Bernard was disrespected and should have gone in the first round, but instead he was left waiting until Day 2. The Steelers didn't get what they wanted on Day 1, either.
Pittsburgh was gunning for former USC wide receiver Makai Lemon when the Philadelphia Eagles quickly put an end to that dream by taking Lemon off the board with the 20th overall pick. That selection did not originally belong to Philadelphia, but rather to the Dallas Cowboys, who struck up a trade deal. The Steelers were left to fill a need at offensive tackle by taking Arizona State's Max Iheanachor at 21st overall.
Both Bernard and the Steelers got their wish though on Friday night, uniting when Pittsburgh selected the Alabama product at 47th overall in the second round of the event after the trade up with the Indianapolis Colts.
Pittsburgh Steelers select former Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard in second round of 2026 NFL Draft
The Steelers -- and their fans -- did not get to go in the direction they wished in the first round, though Iheanachor still brings a lot to the offensive line and does take care of a need Pittsburgh had to address in the NFL Draft.
But the addition of Bernard was particularly exciting. That was perfectly illustrated by the way Steelers fans erupted in celebration after the pick was announced. With Bernard in the fold, they've got a potential steal on their hands, even if he isn't a top-3 wideout in what is a very deep class this year.
That's a good thing for wide receiver-needy teams, though.
Bernard will be an instant impact player for the Steelers with his ability to play both on the outside and as a slot receiver, something that is important to the fit for Mike McCarthy's offense. Steelers offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio echoed that sentiment when he met with the media after Bernard came off the board.
“Germie is a tremendous person," he said. "(I was) really impressed with him on his (Top)-30 visit. His energy. His character. A great football player. Had a lot of success, comes from a program with a lot of history and tradition.”
Bernard finished out the 2025 season with 64 receptions for 862 yards with seven touchdowns. He also did light work on the ground, carrying the ball 18 times for 101 yards and a pair of scores.
The Las Vegas, Nev. native put together a college career that spanned four seasons with one year spent with the Michigan State Spartans, one year spent at Washington and the final two seasons spent as a member of the Crimson Tide. He heads into the NFL with 53 appearances that culminated into 2,203 total receiving yards, 155 catches and 13 touchdowns to couple with 184 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
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