The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected Alabama WR Germie Bernard in the second round with the 47th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Bernard came to Pittsburgh on a pre-draft visit and adds another weapon to a revamped wide receiver room.
Pittsburgh traded up six spots with the Indianapolis Colts to select Bernard, giving up picks No. 53, No. 135 and No. 237 for No. 47 and No. 249.
Germie (pronounced JER-mee) Bernard, 22 years old, was born in Las Vegas, Nev., and grew up in the area, playing at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nev., before committing to Washington as a four-star recruit. He later flipped his commitment to Michigan State. He spent one season at Michigan State before transferring to Washington for the 2023 season, later transferring again to Alabama for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
During his two seasons at Alabama, Bernard caught 114 passes for 1,656 yards and 14 touchdowns. At the NFL Combine, he measured in at 6012 and 216 pounds while running a 4.48 40-yard dash.
In his college career, Bernard totaled 155 receptions for 2,203 yards and 13 touchdowns. He had 64 receptions for 862 yards and seven touchdowns last year at Alabama, and he was also used in the run game. He had 36 career carries for 184 yards and five touchdowns as a runner. His 862 yards last season ranked seventh in the SEC.
He returned kicks early in his career, as he totaled 10 for 233 yards and three punt returns for 43 yards in 2023 at Washington. In his freshman season at Michigan State, he returned six kicks for 119 yards.
At Alabama, Bernard’s teammates called him “Uncle Germ,” and he took on more of a leadership role.
Our scouting report praised Bernard’s route running and physicality while noting that his ability as a deep threat is capped due to his speed and agility.
We concluded:
“Germie Bernard does a lot of things that you’d really want an NFL receiver to do. He isn’t scared of contact in any aspect and brings a physical nature to the position. But he’s not just strong. For being just 22 years old, Bernard is incredibly savvy as a route runner, using head fakes, leverage, and a simple understanding of how to break down zone coverage.”
We compared him to Earl Bennett and Jarvis Landry. Bernard will battle Roman Wilson but should be in the mix to be a Steelers Day 1 starter. After bringing in Michael Pittman Jr. via trade this offseason, the Steelers continue to add to the room alongside DK Metcalf, and Bernard projects as a good fit in Mike McCarthy’s offense.
Check out our full scouting report here.