{"id":32,"date":"2026-05-20T06:59:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T23:59:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.drinkfood.info\/?p=32"},"modified":"2026-05-20T06:59:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T23:59:07","slug":"%f0%9f%9a%a8breaking-following-their-opening-organized-team-activities-otas-session-under-new-head-coach-mike-mccarthy-the-pittsburgh-steelers-are-already-reaping-dividends-from-their-rookie-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.drinkfood.info\/?p=32","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udea8BREAKING: Following their opening Organized Team Activities (OTAs) session under new head coach Mike McCarthy, the Pittsburgh Steelers are already reaping dividends from their rookie class. Second-round pick Germie Bernard took first-team offensive snaps on Monday, showcasing the high-level schematic versatility that has new offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio aggressively pushing the envelope. \ud83d\udc47"},"content":{"rendered":"

Germie Bernard was drafted with a resume of extensive playing time at all three traditional wide receiver spots while in college.<\/p>\n

\"Steelers<\/p>\n

Only a handful of practice sessions into his pro career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bernard already is showing off that versatility.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to see where Germie can move and what he can handle,\u201d offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio said Tuesday, \u201cand he\u2019s done a good job with it. I think his approach and how he studies outside the building, I think that showed up yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Monday was the Steelers\u2019 first organized team activities session this year that resembled a practice and featured the full squad, including veterans. Bernard, a second-round pick out of Alabama, was spotted running with the first-team offense during the brief period of practice that was open to viewing by media.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

According to Pro Football Focus, over his final three college seasons Bernard lined up in the slot for 961 snaps and as an outside receiver for 953.<\/p>\n

That fits in nicely with the Steelers\u2019 overall philosophy of versatility in their players, but in particular in that new coach Mike McCarthy prefers his wide receivers to run routes out of every spot on the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think (wide receivers coach) Adam Henry\u2019s done a great job with that, moving those guys around,\u201d Angelichio said. \u201cWe talk about conceptual teaching, and we want to push the envelope early.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to push all of them and just kind of see where they go with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnston in \u2018good place\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Twenty-seven months ago, Cameron Johnston was regarded as one of the NFL\u2019s best punters. He joined the Steelers via a three-year, $9 million contract that made him one of the league\u2019s best-compensated at his position.<\/p>\n

Little could anyone have predicted that over the next two seasons he would get cut almost as many times (three) as he had games played (five).<\/p>\n

Then again, that was less his fault than it was that Johnston suffered significant injuries. A torn ACL in his Steelers regular-season debut ended his 2024 season, and a foot injury with the Buffalo Bills this past fall limited his play in 2025.<\/p>\n

Johnston, though, re-signed with the Steelers this spring and by all indications is thriving physically and mentally.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s in a really good place on both,\u201d special teams coordinator Danny Crossman said Tuesday. \u201cPhysically, I don\u2019t see any aftereffects from the surgery, and mentally he\u2019s getting better and better every week. The last couple of weeks have been outstanding, and hopefully it continues trending in that direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Words of wisdom<\/span><\/p>\n

Patrick Graham became an NFL defensive coordinator in 2019 \u2014 two years after T.J. Watt entered the league, three years after Jalen Ramsey\u2019s rookie season and a full eight seasons into the pro career of Cameron Heyward.<\/p>\n

As Graham embarks on his first season running the Steelers defense, how does he earn the ear of the many accomplished veteran players on his unit?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best advice I ever got I got in my first spring in the NFL,\u201d Graham, 47, said Tuesday. \u201cA legendary coach told me, (after) I came from college and all of a sudden you\u2019re coaching all these (veteran) guys\u2026 He said, \u2018Pat, remember this: the good players want to be coached.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, for me, what I do is I get to know those guys on the field, off the field. I study them, and I\u2019m looking for how I can help them improve. Especially as a coordinator, how can I help them improve one thing, and then try to use my expertise to help guide them on that, and then always being honest and truthful. That\u2019s the best advice I ever got, and it served me well throughout my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Graham\u2019s first NFL job was as a coaching assistant in 2009 with the New England Patriots under head coach Bill Belichick.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Germie Bernard was drafted with a resume of extensive playing time at all three traditional wide receiver spots while in college. Only a handful of practice sessions… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":33,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n\ud83d\udea8BREAKING: Following their opening Organized Team Activities (OTAs) session under new head coach Mike McCarthy, the Pittsburgh Steelers are already reaping dividends from their rookie class. 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