Steelers Now
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes rookie Pittsburgh Steelers guard Gennings Dunker will make an impact in training camp.
“While Iheanachor should get a lot of attention in training camp, fans should not sleep on third-round pick Gennings Dunker. Dunker, a former Iowa tackle, is a 6’5, 319-pound mauler who regularly flashed for the Hawkeyes with tremendous play strength and competitive toughness,” Knox wrote. “In Pittsburgh, he’s expected to kick inside to guard. McCormick is likely to earn one of the two starting guard jobs, but Dunker has the tools and intangibles needed to compete with Anderson and Brock Hoffman for the other. Expect that guard competition to be one of the biggest storylines of Steelers camp.”
As Knox mentioned, the competition at right guard in training camp is one of the key battles to watch. Spencer Anderson, Brock Hoffman and Dunker are all vying for the RG spot.
Dunker, who stands at 6-foot-5, 319 pounds, has 33.5-inch arms and 10-inch hands. He played both left guard and right tackle at Iowa but he is projected to kick inside to guard in the NFL. He’s an absolute mauler in the run game, but needs to improve in the pass blocking department.
Dunker played through multiple injuries in the 2025 season (shoulder, MCL tear). His toughness and grit are two traits that were praised by analysts in the pre-draft process.
He made headlines at the NFL Combine for his flowing red-haired mullet and thick mustache. Dunker is widely known for his love of Culver’s, a Midwestern fast-food chain.
NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger is very bullish on Dunker. He tabbed Dunker as the best third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“Gennings Dunker, we all saw him at the Senior Bowl, we all fell in love with the mullet,” Baldinger said recently on NFL Network’s The Insiders. “He’s an Iowa kid that played right tackle. But they lost their left guard in free agency this year, Isaac Seumalo. I think Gennings Dunker has got his eyes on that position at left guard. He can step in and play that position and be like a Steeler. Just nasty as can be.”
Dunker was named first-team All-Big Ten by the media last season. He started all 13 games at RT. Team won the Joe Moore Award for having the nation’s top OL.
Dunker could be a day one starter at guard, and projects to be a very good one, and if down the road, the Steelers strike out with their tackle options, Dunker’s history would allow them to toy with the idea of moving him outside.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Is Steelers Rookie Gennings Dunker Being Overlooked?
