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Quarterback Tyler Shough had a marvelous rookie season for the New Orleans Saints last season. The Saints must now surround their young signal caller with more talent, especially at wide receiver. They are expected to do just that early in the 2026 NFL Draft. One early round option is Germie Bernard, the Alabama Crimson Tide talent.
Wideout Chris Olave is coming off his best season. However, Devaughn Vele and Ja'Lynn Polk are both unproven at this stage and the team has little else at the position. Finding a complement for Olave will help Shough and the entire offense, and Bernard is one of the more underrated talents in an intriguing receiver class.
Out of Liberty High School in Nevada, Bernard landed at Michigan State to start his collegiate career. He saw limited playing time as a freshman in 2022, catching 7 passes for 128 yards and scoring twice. After that year, he'd transfer to the Washington Huskies. He was part of a receiver depth chart for the national runner-ups that included future pros Romeo Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Polk, Bernard still made a contribution. He caught 34 balls for 419 yards and 2 touchdowns, but followed coach Kalen DeBoer to the Alabama Crimson Tide after the year.
In his first season at Alabama, Bernard had 794 receiving yards and 2 scores while catching a team-high 50 passes. In 2025, Bernard stepped up further and led the Crimson Tide with 64 receptions and 862 yards and pulled in a career-best 7 touchdowns. He also completed 2 passes and picked up 101 yards and 2 touchdowns as a runner, bringing his collegiate total to 5 touchdowns on the ground.
Bernard is one of the more underrated receiving prospects in this year's draft. He'll most likely come off the board in the second day, perhaps as early as the third round. Bernard increased his production every year in college and has the tools to be a quietly effective number two wideout.
New Orleans needs more production from their wide receivers. Olave is about to be signed to a lucrative extension, but he's the only proven player of the group. Vele and Polk both have potential, but the Saints need more talent here. If they wait until the second day of the draft to do it, Germie Bernard is certainly among the names to watch.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Scouting Alabama receiver Germie Bernard for Saints
Continue reading...
Wideout Chris Olave is coming off his best season. However, Devaughn Vele and Ja'Lynn Polk are both unproven at this stage and the team has little else at the position. Finding a complement for Olave will help Shough and the entire offense, and Bernard is one of the more underrated talents in an intriguing receiver class.
Germie Bernard bio
- Position: Wide receiver
- College: Alabama Crimson Tide
- Height: 6-feet, 1 inch
- Weight: 206 pounds
- 40-yard dash: 4.48 seconds
- 10-yard split: 1.52 seconds
- 3-cone drill: 6.71 seconds
- 20-yard shuttle: 4.31 seconds
- Vertical jump: 32.5"
- Broad jump: 10'5"
Out of Liberty High School in Nevada, Bernard landed at Michigan State to start his collegiate career. He saw limited playing time as a freshman in 2022, catching 7 passes for 128 yards and scoring twice. After that year, he'd transfer to the Washington Huskies. He was part of a receiver depth chart for the national runner-ups that included future pros Romeo Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Polk, Bernard still made a contribution. He caught 34 balls for 419 yards and 2 touchdowns, but followed coach Kalen DeBoer to the Alabama Crimson Tide after the year.
In his first season at Alabama, Bernard had 794 receiving yards and 2 scores while catching a team-high 50 passes. In 2025, Bernard stepped up further and led the Crimson Tide with 64 receptions and 862 yards and pulled in a career-best 7 touchdowns. He also completed 2 passes and picked up 101 yards and 2 touchdowns as a runner, bringing his collegiate total to 5 touchdowns on the ground.
Strengths
- Good size combined with underrated athleticism
- Equally effective inside and outside
- Good initial acceleration and hits his breaks at full speed
- Long stride to pull away from defenders
- Disguises routes well
- Nice body control along sidelines
- Good open field elusiveness after the catch
Weaknesses
- Needs to show better feel for zone coverages
- Must improve physicality for cleaner release against press
- Has had some drop issues in traffic
- Needs to be more physical at the catch point
- Hasn't often shown extra gear of speed for separation
Germie Bernard 2026 draft outlook
Bernard is one of the more underrated receiving prospects in this year's draft. He'll most likely come off the board in the second day, perhaps as early as the third round. Bernard increased his production every year in college and has the tools to be a quietly effective number two wideout.
New Orleans needs more production from their wide receivers. Olave is about to be signed to a lucrative extension, but he's the only proven player of the group. Vele and Polk both have potential, but the Saints need more talent here. If they wait until the second day of the draft to do it, Germie Bernard is certainly among the names to watch.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Scouting Alabama receiver Germie Bernard for Saints
Continue reading...
