The Steelers signed guard Gennings Dunker, one of the team's third-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, to a four-year contract. Dunker, who played at Iowa, was selected with the 96th overall pick.
"He is an aggressive kid," said offensive line coach James Campen. "Good football player. They're so well coached at Iowa. They come out and have established pad level and footwork. I've got a lot of respect for that football program and the people who run it.
"But to be able to get a guy like him, a big, powerful kid that has position flexibility and has shown leadership in his play. His play style is really unique."
Dunker appeared in 47 games for the Hawkeyes, with 38 starts. He started all 13 games in 2025, as well as all 11 games he appeared in during the 2024 season.
"You always look for guys that are first in line doing things that are challenging or different like he did at the Senior Bowl. He was first in line to go and do new drills and things like that. So, I'm sure there's some leadership qualities there too.
"But we're very excited to have him and to add to the O-line room. I think at this point he'll be at the guard position, and tackle will be his second position. But again, when you get players like this, you can always try to figure out which way he's going to go. So, competition is good in those areas. So, he'll probably end up playing a little bit of both, but primarily guard."
He was a first-team All-Big Ten (media) and third-team All-Big Ten (coaches) selection in 2025.
