Steelers rookie guard Gennings Dunker hasn’t put the pads on for an NFL practice yet, but he’s already noticing differences between college and pro football players.
Dunker said that just from his brief experiences at the Steelers’ non-contact Organized Team Activities, he’s already recognizing that NFL speed is different. Dunker says he’ll have to adjust to blitzing NFL linebackers who are more athletic than the ones he saw during his college career as a three-year starter at Iowa.
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“These guys are a lot faster than college linebackers,” Dunker said. “They’re pretty quick, so maybe taking a little bit different angles because they’re definitely a lot better athletes than me.”
The Steelers made offensive line a priority in the 2026 NFL draft, selecting tackle Max Iheanachor in the first round before adding Dunker in the third. They’ll be counting on their young offensive lineman making a quick adjustment to NFL speed.