The Steelers prioritized drafting a wide receiver early, landing on Germie Bernard after missing on Makai Lemon in Round 1. They traded up for Bernard, indicating that they had him high on their board. With DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. rostered, however, his rookie-season ceiling is WR3.
The question is, how soon can Bernard ascend to that role within the Steelers’ offense? Right now, he is coming off a two-day rookie minicamp where he already left a positive impression. HC Mike McCarthy had enthusiastic praise for how naturally the game comes to him. In that sense, it may indicate they don’t anticipate he’ll need much time to warm up to NFL action.
Of course, beyond Metcalf and Pittman, the Steelers’ wide receiver room is not the envy of the league. Germie Bernard essentially has one competitor for the third receiver role, Roman Wilson. A 2024 third-round pick, Wilson has not ascended as Pittsburgh anticipated when they drafted him.
While McCarthy has spoken positively about Wilson, actions speak louder than words. They were always going to try to draft a receiver high, so Germie Bernard isn’t necessarily an indictment of Wilson. After all, Pittman isn’t necessarily a long-term piece of the Steelers’ puzzle.
What will the Steelers’ offense look like by opening day, and where will Bernard fit in it? Will he be the type of player who is out there for the first snap? Most likely, they’ll use 11 personnel a good bit, perhaps as their base grouping. Will Bernard be the receiver who sees the most snaps there, behind, of course, Metcalf and Pittman? And if he is, will he start the season with that role, or will they make him earn it in-season?
On one level, the answer to the question is fundamentally obvious: it depends. If Germie Bernard doesn’t show that he’s ready for a full-time role by September, he won’t have one. It’s a little less obvious if he does, however, depending on how the coaches feel otherwise. They would have options, including Roman Wilson, or playing more 12 personnel. And they have the tight ends for it, Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. With the addition of Riley Nowakowski in the draft, we should also see an uptick in 21 and even 22 personnel, too. It will be up to Bernard to convince the coaching staff that they are better with him on the field.
The Steelers have a long road ahead of them under Mike McCarthy, along with his cadre of quarterbacks.With seven consecutive postseason losses and no wins in nearly a decade, they are under fire for their repeated playoff failures. While we have seen many changes, none could dream of topping Mike Tomlin’s resignation.
We’re already deep into the offseason, with free agency and the draft already reshaping rosters. The Steelers, of course, are used to early offseason mode as a team thatloses by the middle of January all the time. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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