While Gennings Dunker quickly won the battle of hearts and minds, he still needs to win a starting job eventually. One analyst isn’t convinced he ever will, while others predict he will start as a rookie. A third-round pick by the Steelers, he should be in contention at left guard. The only problem is he is actually a right tackle by trade, first and foremost. And Mike Renner believes it’s fair to question why everyone has him moving to guard.
“I saw a guy who had serious balance issues on tape”, Renner said of Gennings Dunker on 93.7 The Fan. “I think we are talking about moving him to guard not because of [his athletic ability]. But everyone’s like, ‘Okay, he’s a guard’. Well, it’s like, why is he a guard? Well, it’s because he wasn’t actually that good at tackle in terms of the things he has to do”.
It’s not uncommon for college tackles to convert to guard. The average NFL player has a different body type and athletic profile, and sometimes you can hide things better along the interior. Granted, that space comes with its own challenges—for example, the action happens quicker. Gennings Dunker is learning that now. But once he does, does he have the chops to be an actual starter?
“For a guy that athletic, it’s more how he manipulates space, how he plays on the move that I’m more worried about”, Renner said, discussing why Dunker was his least favorite of the Steelers’ draft picks. “He was outside my top 150 and they drafted him in the top 100. I just think he’s more of a swing back up than he is potential starter”.
Gennings Dunker comes into the league with a healthy amount of starting experience—but, again, at tackle, not at guard. He does have some experience along the interior, but at this stage in his development it borders on irrelevant.
The opening the Steelers have, though, is at guard. They lost Isaac Seumalo in free agency, and while they have candidates, none is the clear leader. Spencer Anderson is in his fourth season with the Steelers, but they have a new system. Free agent signing Brock Hoffman has experience with Mike McCarthy, but not OL coach James Campen. Then there’s Dunker, of course, who has no experience at all as a rookie.
And with the potential for 2026 first-round pick Max Iheanachor to start, you could have two rookies along the offensive line. The Steelers have done it before—most recently in 2024—but it brings some complications. You tend to be more conservative in what you ask them to do, not wanting to overwhelm them.
But ultimately, it comes down to getting the best five on the field. If Gennings Dunker proves he is one of them for the Steelers, he’ll play. Mike Renner isn’t convinced he’ll ever be a starter—and to be fair, he may not be. But he has every opportunity in front of him to prove otherwise, and that process is already in motion. Being in good shape doesn’t hurt, anyway.
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