After getting drafted in the second round as the eighth wide receiver off the board, Germie Bernard caught four passes for 51 yards in his preseason debut. His performance included a 25-yard reception where he broke multiple tackles and had 22 yards after the catch.
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: Preseason Pop, Tough Climb
Bernard was the most productive receiver on an Alabama offense last season, out-producing highly-touted possible first-round prospect Ryan Coleman-Williams. Bernard finished his final collegiate season with 15.3 fantasy points per game (PPG).
The draft capital and his production coming out of college already made for an appealing profile. His first preseason outing only strengthened that case.
It’s still a challenging path to rookie production. The Steelers have competition for targets with Metcalf entering his second season with the team, Pittman coming over in a trade with the Colts, and Roman Wilson getting buzz this training camp.
Still, if he keeps flashing like this in the preseason, Bernard will get harder to ignore.
