The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a consistent struggle at the wide receiver position over the last several years. The team has usually had a pretty good number one wide receiver, but the depth behind that player has been questionable. That was the case with George Pickens in 2024, and it was the case with DK Metcalf in 2025 as well. The organization did everything it could to fix that problem during the 2026 offseason as Pittsburgh acquired veteran wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. from the Indianapolis Colts and then traded up in the draft to select Germie Bernard in the second round of the event.
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Steelers' Germie Bernard catches a pass during the offseason ahead of the 2026 campaign.
The Steelers missed out on a wide receiver in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but the organization made up for it by selecting Bernard later on. He was highly touted coming out of Alabama, and he has received a ton of high praise from the coaching staff early on. He is going to have to prove that he can have a large impact on games that matter once the 2026 regular season gets underway, but there is good reason for optimism around the young wide out.
Former NFL general manager Ran Carthon recently spoke about Bernard on an episode of his podcast, With The First Pick. He spoke about his versatility while comparing him to Chris Godwin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"One of my favorite guys," Carthon said. "I think he can play all three positions, X, Z, he can definitely play the F. I'm gonna push back a little bit. I don't know that he's gonna primarily play in the slot. I think he's gonna play outside at Z and they'll put Michael Pittman Jr. in the slot, a bigger guy that'd be able to use his size. But I like his versatility. To me, this is a Chris Godwin clone in the way he plays the game."
Carthon served as the general manager of the Tennessee Titans from 2023 through 2024, and he served as a scout or executive from 2008 through 2024. He knows what he is talking about when it comes to NFL players and young guys entering the league, so this is a promising comparison.
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Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin jogs on the field after playing a professional football game.
If Bernard can turn into the player that Godwin has been in Tampa Bay, that would be a great development for Pittsburgh. Godwin was a Second-Team All-Pro back in 2019, and he was a pivotal piece of Tampa Bay's Super Bowl win at the end of the 2020 season. The two wideouts have similar body types and skill sets, and they each are versatile enough to play all three positions at wide receiver. Godwin has had six seasons of recording 800 yards receiving or more, including four 1,000-yard seasons. He has also been productive in the end zone, catching 41 touchdowns over his nine-year career.
It may take some time for Bernard to reach the level that Godwin has played at during parts of his career, but if he can get there, the Steelers should be set at the wide receiver position for some time.
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Steelers' Germie Bernard catches a pass during Organized Team Activities (OTAs) in 2026.
Steelers' Germie Bernard Has A Chance To See The Field Early
Bernard is expected to make some sort of impact early on in his career, and he will be battling with Roman Wilson to be the third wide receiver on the depth chart. Many believe Bernard will overtake Wilson at some point during training camp, but he should find a way to make an impact regardless. Getting on the same page as quarterback Aaron Rodgers will have to be a priority for Bernard as the signal caller needs to be able to trust his receivers. As long as that can happen, there is no reason that Bernard should not be an immediate contributor in Pittsburgh.
What do you think of this comparison from Carthon? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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