Roman Wilson Germie Bernard
Roman Wilson Germie Bernard
When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded up in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft to land Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard, the belief was the franchise was landing an ideal piece in new head coach Mike McCarthy’s West Coast scheme.
Bernard is a great route runner, has good hands and plays a physical brand of football, both after the catch and as a blocker.
But through the first two weeks of training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Bernard is running clearly behind third-year receiver Roman Wilson, who is putting together another outstanding offseason.
With Wilson, there’s an explosive element at play. He has great speed, can stretch the field vertically and create big plays in the passing game. According to The Athletic’s Robert Mays, the Steelers think Wilson gives them a different, missing element offensively compared to Bernard.
“They drafted Germie Bernard in the second round, but Roman Wilson, who’s had a tough start to his career, is absolutely in the mix to be that third receiving option,” Mays said of the Steelers’ wide receiver room. “Bernard may be better underneath short area aspects, but they think that some of the verticality that Wilson can give them is just a little bit different and gives the offense a slightly different gear.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a heavy dose of both of them over the course of the season,” Mays added.
Wilson has had a tough start to his career. He missed most of his rookie season with various injuries, and despite flashing at times in Year 2, ended that season as a healthy scratch. With the coaching changes the Steelers had this offseason, Wilson had a clean slate entering camp. He’s now thriving.
Based on training camp stats from Alex Kozora, Wilson was second on the team in targets with 19 late last week. There’s been a major emphasis on getting him the ball and working him into the mix. He has a strong relationship with Aaron Rodgers at the moment and is starting to really establish himself.
Though ESPN’s Benjamin Solak raised concerns Tuesday about the potential playing time for Wilson, it’s clear he’s going to have a sizable role for the Steelers and could potentially be that downfield threat needed in McCarthy’s scheme. With Michael Pittman Jr. and DK Metcalf as the physical presences, the Steelers need that explosive jitterbug. It could be Wilson.
That’s not to say Bernard won’t have much of a role, though. He’ll play a lot, too. As Mays said, the Steelers have a strong group of receivers overall for Rodgers and McCarthy to work with. It’s an exciting time offensively for the Black and Gold.