The Pittsburgh Steelers thought they had Makai Lemon in the bag with the No. 21 pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, the Dallas Cowboys under Omar Khan and the front office, when they traded the No. 20 pick to the Eagles, who in turn selected Lemon one pick ahead of Pittsburgh.
The Steelers were forced to pivot to Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. So when the second round rolled around, there was little doubt that Pittsburgh wanted to land a receiver. As soon as Pittsburgh traded up from No. 53 to No. 47, my mind immediately went to Alabama's Germie Bernard.
And that's exactly what they did.
Despite a handful of players left on the board who were much higher on the consensus board (like Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren or Georgia linebacker CJ Allen), the Steelers opted for positional need over the 'best player available' approach. This stings.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' trade-up for Germie Bernard was a reach for need
Taking Germie Bernard is considered an on-value pick, according to Marcus Mosher's NFL Draft Expert Consensus Board. However, this move reeked of desperation after missing out on Makai Lemon in Round 1.
For Mike McCarthy's offense to operate effectively, he needs a receiver of quality size who can work from the slot. Bernard fits the bill.
While Bernard possesses quality size and good athletic traits, he plays the game at a single speed. It's not that Bernard is a bad football player; it's that there were better players on the board when the Steelers were on the clock.
For the second straight pick to open the draft, the Steelers made a slight reach against the consensus, showing that they value filling positional need more than simply taking the best players on the board at the time they are on the clock.
With seven receivers off the board, Khan couldn't wait any longer. In the trade-up from No. 53 to No. 47, the Steelers gave up pick No. 135 and No. 237. In return, they received pick No. 249.
Steelers fans might be pleased that their team addressed the offensive line and the wide receiver position with their first two selections this year, but both selections felt like a slight reach. This front office appears to be too focused on filling needs in the right sequence rather than just drafting the best players on the board when they're on the clock.
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