He’s already comfortable in the Black and Gold from his standout career at Iowa, so he’s seemingly destined to be a Pittsburgh Steeler during the 2026 NFL Draft.
At least, that’s how The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo views Iowa standout offensive lineman Gennings Dunker. He can fill a major hole at guard for the Steelers.
Appearing on the latest episode of Scoop City with NFL insider James Palmer, DeFabo stated he believes Dunker belongs in Pittsburgh due to his size, play style, and his looks, too.
“Gennings Dunker, the guy that’s got the red mullet, he was literally made to be eating a Primanti Brothers sandwich in Pittsburgh with Mike McCarthy. He belongs there,” DeFabo said of Dunker, according to video via the show’s YouTube page.
Outside of his red mullet and his looks, Dunker is one of the better interior offensive linemen in the class. He would fit tremendously with the Steelers, plugging the potential left guard hole if they let Isaac Seumalo walk in free agency.
Though Dunker played tackle in college, he projects inside as a big, physical, mauling piece on the interior.
He turns 24 in May, but he has played 47 career games in college, including 38 starts. In our scouting report of Dunker, Jim Hester compared the Iowa standout to a long-time NFL guard in Roger Saffold. Dunker’s size, length and personality build that comparison.
Seumalo has served as the starter at left guard for the last three seasons. The veteran has been a steady presence and a good leader for a young offensive line. But at 33 years old and with injury issues piling up, the Steelers could move on in free agency. GM Omar Khan spoke highly of backup Spencer Anderson earlier this week, but there’s a glaring need in the interior.
Dunker could fill that need. He already looks like a Steeler and could be a great fit on a young offensive line with new coaches James Campen and Jahri Evans. With three third-round picks, the Steelers could land Dunker. He may slide down the board due to the general devaluation of guards leaguewide.
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