The Pittsburgh Steelers used to be one of the best teams in the NFL at drafting and developing wide receivers. They consistently churned out productive pass catchers, with examples including Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and George Pickens. However, they’ve struggled to hit on receivers in the draft in recent years. They’re hoping 2026 second-round pick Germie Bernard can change that, though. Former NFL general manager Ran Carthon is a fan of the rookie, comparing him to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin.
“One of my favorite guys,” Carthon said Wednesday on his With the First Pick podcast. “I think he can play all three positions, X, Z, he can definitely play the F. I’m gonna push back a little bit. I don’t know that he’s gonna primarily play in the slot.
“I think he’s gonna play outside at Z and they’ll put Michael Pittman [Jr.] in the slot, a bigger guy that’d be able to use his size. But I like his versatility. To me, this is a Chris Godwin clone in the way he plays the game.”
The Bucs selected Godwin in the third round of the 2017 draft, and he’s been a dynamic part of their offense. He’s been named a Second-Team All-Pro once and has also made one Pro Bowl in nine years in Tampa Bay. Also, he’s posted at least 1,000 receiving yards in four seasons. While injuries have hampered him over the last two years, he’s still been productive.
Godwin has done a lot of damage in the slot, but he’s evolved to a point where he can play any of the receiver positions. That matches what Carthon sees in Bernard. Perhaps Godwin’s rookie year is a good point of reference for what Bernard can do in 2026.
Godwin played in all 16 games as a rookie, including two starts, and he caught 34 passes for 525 yards and one touchdown. He was behind two veterans on the depth chart in Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson. While they were the main targets at wideout, Godwin still got involved.
Bernard could follow a similar path. He figures to be behind Pittman and DK Metcalf, but he should still get chances if he earns the No. 3 receiver job. Putting up around 500 yards would be a solid rookie effort in that situation.
Don’t give up on Bernard if he isn’t as productive as Godwin was as a rookie, though. Sometimes, it takes time for a player to acclimate to the NFL. Bernard has a lot of good traits, and reports out of Pittsburgh about him so far are all positive. Hopefully, he carries that momentum into training camp, the preseason, and the regular season.
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