After getting unexpectedly jumped by the Philadelphia Eagles while they were on the phone with Makai Lemon in the 1st round, the Pittsburgh Steelers left no doubt that they were coming away with their top receiver target in the 2nd.
Pittsburgh moved up a handful of spots to take Alabama's Germie Bernard with the 47th overall pick, getting another weapon for Mike McCarthy's offense.
Even though Germie Bernard is not the Biletnikoff Award winner like Makai Lemon, he's a fantastic prospect in his own right. He brings so much toughness to the table along with positional versatility, but one particular trait will give Steelers fans immediate reason to love this pick: Bernard doesn't drop passes.
Germie Bernard brings Pittsburgh Steelers another sure-handed target
Alabama expert John Mitchell of Bama Hammer shared some great insight into what makes Bernard a special prospect, even if he's more of a jack-of-all-trades than a player with a single standout trait.
One thing Mitchell noted that stood out: Bernard doesn't drop passes.
"A jack-of-all-trades WR who won't jump off the page with any one trait or measurable, but he constantly runs crisp routes, gets open, and catches everything in his sight. Alabama used him as a Wildcat QB, RB, and lined him up both inside and outside as a WR. He's an ideal WR2 or WR3 in the NFL."
- John Mitchell, Bama Hammer
Bernard's physical toughness is part of what makes this such a standout trait for him. He's a bully in the open field, and not only does a great job of finishing plays, but he will also make defenders miss in space.
When you have a playmaker and a weapon who is trustworthy when it comes to his hands, as well as making the first guy miss, you have a player who can be almost an extension of your running game.
Bernard lined up all over the place for Alabama and was obviously a favorite of Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer, because he followed him all the way from Washington to Alabama. As a gadget player and secondary weapon, he also added at least one rushing touchdown in each of the last three seasons.
The Steelers wanted someone who was going to be physical in space, and even if things didn't go exactly according to plan in the 1st round, this is not a consolation prize, by any stretch. Bernard will contribute right away.
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