After missing out on Makai Lemon in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded up in Round 2 to secure Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard. While Bernard has been praised for his well-rounded skillset and do-it-all demeanor, draft analysts have questioned his NFL ceiling.
Steelers fans are itching to know what Bernard could offer the team and what type of player he could be in the NFL. These high-floor NFL player comparisons should help.
After watching players like Puka Nacua, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, and Emeka Egbuka explode in the NFL in recent years, we've learned not to underestimate natural football ability and nuance. Though Bernard has great hands and a natural feel for the game, it's unreasonable to expect this type of performance out of him at the NFL level.
Still, Bernard's well-rounded skill set and football intelligence suggest the Steelers are getting a high-floor player. Here are my high-end, low-end, and most likely NFL player comps for Germie Bernard.
NFL player comps suggest the Pittsburgh Steelers are all but guaranteed a high-floor wide receiver
High-end NFL comp: Robert Woods
Seeing Robert Woods listed as the high-end player comparison for Bernard might feel underwhelming, but think 'peak Robert Woods' with the Los Angeles Rams. Woods was at his best at 26 and 27 years old for the Rams when he recorded over 1,100 yards in back-to-back seasons.
For the rest of his career, Woods was a stable option in the passing game—one who was almost always good for 500-800 yards in any given season. That's the type of production we can expect from Bernard.
Not only do Woods and Bernard share similarities in their game, but they both have similar size/athletic profiles. Perhaps Bernard's peak could last a bit longer than Woods', given the right circumstances, but this is a reasonable high-end comp, and one fans should be satisfied with.
Low-end comp: Van Jefferson
Van Jefferson wasn't old when he joined the Steelers for the 2024 season, but his career bottomed out. I can't picture Bernard being this bad in nearly any scenario. Instead, think of Bernard on his rookie contract with the Rams, back when he was Robert Woods' teammate.
In his second NFL season, Jefferson narrowly topped 800 yards. Unfortunately, his career would be all downhill from there, as he would go on to hover between the 200-and 400-yard-per-season mark.
Coming out of SEC programs at Florida and Ole Miss and standing at 6'1'' and 200 pounds, it's easy to draw comparisons from a size standpoint. Meanwhile, their college production in the SEC was nearly identical. Jefferson recorded 2,159 yards and 16 touchdowns in 48 games while Bernard earned 2,203 yards and 13 touchdowns in 53 games.
Barring major injuries, Steelers fans don't have to worry about Bernard being anything worse than Jefferson in the NFL.
Most likely NFL comp: Jakobi Meyers
The gap between Robert Woods and Jakobi Meyers' peak isn't significant, but these NFL comps for Bernard just speak to the high-floor nature of the Steelers' second-round pick. Based on his film and play speed, it's probably safe to assume that Bernard will have some limitations in his game, but that won't stop him from being a respectable starting receiver.
It took Meyers until his sixth NFL season before he finally broke the 900-yard mark, earning just over 1,000 yards in 2024. We shouldn't be surprised if Bernard's career unfolds in a similar fashion.
This is nothing to be disappointed in, as Meyers has been a respectable receiver and a QB's best friend for much of his career, thanks to his ability to win from any alignment. Since his second season in 2020, Meyers has been a 700-800-yard receiver, and this is probably what we should expect out of Germie Bernard.
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