The Pittsburgh Steelers have a very intriguing rookie class coming in for the 2026 season. They selected a good mix of high-ceiling projects and quality NFL-ready prospects. This last week of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) is a big one, as many of the veterans on the team are gone, so the coaching staff is putting a strong emphasis on getting the youngsters developed. For some of these guys, this week could be what they need to gain an edge before training camp and compete for a spot on the starting lineup for Week 1.
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Steelers' Gennings Dunker (73) and the rest of the offensive line at rookie minicamp in 2026.
For one rookie in particular, things are already trending in the wrong direction. Jim Wexell explained his take on what's going on exactly with this rough offseason program while hosting his podcast, Steel City Insider.
"The other third rounder: [Gennings] Dunker," Wexell said. "I expected more grit. He has grit, don't get me wrong... He's going to be that guy; it's just going to take a while."
Third-round offensive lineman Gennings Dunker had all kinds of hype coming out of college. He quickly became a fan favorite during the draft process for his ginger mullet and intense Midwestern farm boy vibes. He almost instantly was adored in Pittsburgh after they drafted him to conclude Day 2 of the event. He's definitely a fun guy to root for, but that doesn't automatically make him a good fit.
Wexell did not expand on his concerns, but the lack of grit early on is somewhat concerning. One would think that he would be more willing to get in there and do the dirty work, especially since he likely has some friendly competition with former Iowa Hawkeyes teammate Logan Lee during practice, but it's just not showing up in practice yet. Something seems to be missing for whatever reason.
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Steelers offensive lineman Gennings Dunker goes through drill during rookie minicamp while James Campen watches on.
Even if he doesn't start in 2026, Dunker is slated to take over at right guard full-time in his second season. If this issue with lacking grit doesn't change throughout the current campaign, however, the Steelers may be forced to bring in a veteran guard to directly compete with him and try to steal that role away. This should be a massive wake-up call for him to dig deep in training camp.
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At this point, it would be very difficult for the Steelers to demote Spencer Anderson to the backup role again. He certainly had pole position in the battle already, since he has shown how effective he can be all over the offensive line during his three-year career. With Dunker struggling to truly show his grit thus far according to Wexell, Anderson's lead is just getting larger. In fact, he may have already earned that starting job.
Wexell did praise Dunker's intelligence, so he should learn that he needs to do more soon enough. In fact, Wexell even compared Dunker to Hall of Fame guard Alan Faneca. However, part of that comparison was the fact that it took Faneca a few years to truly get his footing and be the elite blocker that everyone knew he could be. That bodes well for the third-round rookie in the future, but not now.
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Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger celebrates Super Bowl XL with Jeff Hartings and Alan Faneca.
With that in mind, it's hard to imagine 2026 being anything more than a redshirt season for Dunker, barring injury. Steelers fans will have to wait a year to see that flaming red mullet in the starting lineup as he tries to recreate the Faneca arc, but faster. Hopefully, everyone can look back on Wexell's report in a few years and laugh at the idea that the rookie didn't have much grit, but Dunker is going to have to prove himself first.
What do you think about Dunker's shocking lack of grit in practice so far, as well as him being compared to Faneca? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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