Alabama WR Germie Bernard Preaches Versatility, Toughness at NFL Combine

INDIANAPOLIS — Germie Bernard is a jack of all trades. He’s quick, has good hands and can get open before the ball is thrown.

These are all things that Bernard wears on his shoulder as a prospect at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. He’s willing to do anything it takes to help out a team because he’s capable of doing so much at a high level. It’s what makes him one of the better wide receivers in the class.

His ability to come down with the football, regardless of the circumstances, might just be the skill he has the most pride in.

“However I'm supposed to make it, I'm going up with the mindset of, I'm gonna win it,” Bernard said. “Whether it's (a) wide open pass, whether it's (a) contested catch, hard catch, whatever it may be, I know I got to come down with that ball.”

In general, Bernard knows that having multiple high-level skills is a bonus for him as a prospect. He’s also played at different spots on the field, varying from the slot to the X-receiver.

Bernard likely will be a slot guy when he reaches the NFL at some point in his career. If that doesn’t happen right away, he should have what it takes to play elsewhere, thanks to his speed and route-running ability.

“It was very valuable to be able to play everywhere, because that's gonna help me in the long run, being able to play inside, being able to play outside, being able to play in the backfield, run every single route in the route tree,” Bernard said. “I feel like that versatility was going to get scouts to look into my game.”

The former Michigan State and Washington wide receiver will even play out of the backfield, if needed. He’s shown the ability to be an explosive athlete, which is another thing he can prove at the combine on Saturday.

“I run routes out of the backfield. I run routes from the slot, the outside, you know, I can make contested catches,” Bernard said. “I can make explosive plays. I can create explosive plays.”

The well-rounded receiver plays with a lot of physicality as well, though it’s an area that NFL.com’s Lance Zurlein believes he can improve upon. At the bare minimum, it’s something that Bernard tries to mix into his game in various ways.

Primarily, Bernard wants scouts to see that he can be physical after the catch. He’s listed at 6-foot-1, 204 pounds before his combine measurements, and could stand to add some weight to his frame. He’s still able to break tackles and protect the ball, though.

That physicality is something that stems from his childhood as a Pee-Wee player. According to Bernard, he started off his football career as an offensive lineman when he was four years old before making the switch to defense. That experience, combined with the type of player he is now, blends some physicality into his performances.

“I started off as an offensive lineman, so I kind of had that aggression, and then I played defense a lot too,” Bernard said. “I've always had that aggression, and I just translated that into blocking and running the ball.”

It’s also a necessity in the modern age of football to be able to shed blocks and so forth after the catch. Since he was a kid, it’s something Bernard has kept accessible as a player.

“You got to be a physical guy to be able to make plays with the ball after your hand,” Bernard said. “That physicality is something that I've always had, and I just continue to keep it with me whenever I have the ball in my hand.”

The multiple stops and changes of scenery that Bernard has made in his career have also prepared him for playing in the NFL. He’s shown his adaptability to new systems and schemes, while also meshing with his teammates on three different occasions.

“For the next level, being able to understand different playbooks, being able to adapt to new situations, being able to adapt to new relationships,” Bernard said. “New circumstances is something I'm used to now.”

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