Transitioning from Iowa tackle to Pittsburgh Steelers guard, the physical third-round pick is refining his left-handed stance and bracing for the increased speed of the NFL's interior trenches.
The Pittsburgh Steelers attacked the offensive line at multiple levels during Day 1 and Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Offensive linemen Max Iheanachor (first round) and Gennings Dunker (third round) are set to give the Steelers much-needed reinforcements for the offensive line. Dunker is coming from Iowa, a program known for putting star offensive linemen in the league.
Dunker played offensive tackle for most of his time with the Hawkeyes, but the Steelers moved him inside to offensive guard during rookie minicamp over the weekend. Dunker told reporters that he hadn't played guard since his second season at Iowa, nearly four years ago.
He started practicing his left-handed stances before the NFL combine, figuring it might come in handy for his first season in the NFL.
"I had been working on doing left-handed stances the whole time leading up to the combine," Dunker said, via the Steelers. "Then after the combine, just in case, I was playing left guard because I hadn't done it in forever. So, I'm glad I worked on my left-hand stances.
"The speed at guard is a little bit faster than tackle. That makes pass pro a little easier and run blocking a little harder. It's just a little faster. At Iowa, we played our tackles like guards anyways. Just play really physical."
Dunker is a native of Norwalk, Iowa, who went to Lena-Winslow High School in Lena, Illinois. He spent five seasons with the Hawkeyes in college.
The proud Midwesterner said he's joining the landscape of Pennsylvania.
"It's an awesome city," said Dunker of Pittsburgh. "Pennsylvania is beautiful, how hilly it is and green. Then there's that little trolley car thing (the incline) that takes you up to the mountain. I'm going to go check it out at some point.
"I love this place. It's awesome. I had to ask around if I could swim in the river or you're not supposed to do that. I might go fishing. I like to go fishing every once in a while."
It could Dunker a little more time to adapt to guard than the City. But he has the skills to be a key contributor to the offensive line early in his career.