An Alabama football wide receiver is off the board in the 2026 NFL draft.
Germie Bernard is heading to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 47 selection in the second round of the draft, following offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor (No. 12 Miami Dolphins) and quarterback Ty Simpson (No. 13 Los Angeles Rams).
Bernard is the first Alabama player since cornerback Ramzee Robinson in 2007 to be selected in the NFL draft who was not coached by Nick Saban.
Bernard is the first Alabama wide receiver selected in the draft since Jermaine Burton in 2024. Bernard is the first receiver selected in the first two rounds since Jameson Williams and John Metchie III were picked in 2022.
Bernard is the picture-perfect example of consistency. He may not be the biggest or the fastest, while he does have 4.48 40-yard dash speed. But he's been the leader in receptions for the Crimson Tide offense in each of the past two seasons, one who rarely drops passes. He's a weapon in all facets of the game, from outside, to the slot, to the backfield. Bernard can fill in whatever role the Steelers need him in.
In four seasons, Bernard played for three seasons. He began his career at Michigan State, joining the Spartans as a four-star commit in the 2022 recruiting class. Bernard transferred to Washington for the 2023 season and followed head coach Kalen DeBoer and played for Alabama in 2024 and 2025.
Bernard had plenty of important catches in his Alabama career. But the biggest moment of the receiver's Crimson Tide life came as a runner.
After Bernard helped Alabama tie South Carolina in 2025 with a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ty Simpson with 2:16 left in the game, Bernard toe-tapped his way to another score: a game-winning 25-yard touchdown scamper against the Gamecocks with 34 seconds left.
After recording 55 touches for 593 yards and six total touchdowns across his seasons at Michigan State and Washington, Bernard became one of Alabama's go-to receivers in 2024 and 2025.
Bernard led the Crimson Tide in receptions both years, recording 1,794 all-purpose yards and touchdowns. He had three 100-yard games with Alabama: a 111-yard performance in the 2024 Iron Bowl against Auburn, a 146-yard performance in the 2025 season opener against Florida State and a 109-yard performance against Tennessee in 2025, where he had 60 receiving yards and 40 rushing yards. Bernard had three games in 2025 with multiple touchdowns: Louisiana Monroe, Wisconsin and South Carolina.
Bernard was a four-star recruits out of Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada. A former first-team all-league player at receiver and special teams, Bernard had 956 receiving yards, 452 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Germie Bernard draft: Steelers pick Alabama WR in NFL draft second round