The Pittsburgh Steelers had very mixed results in the 2026 NFL Draft. It had everything from embarrassing blunders, to heartfelt moments. One of the bright spots was using the last of their third-round picks on guard Gennings Dunker. After his appearance at the NFL Scouting Combine, he became a bit of a cult hero for his ginger mullet and strong love for Culver's. Obviously, that's not why he was drafted, as he is still expected to be a great lineman in the NFL. It likely won't take long for him to become a fan favorite.
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Gennings Dunker (67) of the Iowa Hawkeyes looks on before a matchup against the Oregon Ducks at Kinnick Stadium on November 8, 2025 in Iowa City.
In a recent interview with USA Today, Dunker spoke about how he could not have been in a better situation than when he was drafted by the Steelers.
"I couldn't think of a better culture fit for me personally, coming from Iowa, than to go to the Steelers," Dunker said. "I have so many former teammates there. As soon as I talked to everyone from the Steelers, I went outside. I called Logan Lee and I was like, 'Hey dude, I can't wait to be your teammate.' We're going to have seven [Hawkeyes] on the Steelers. That just makes it so much better. [Kaden] Wetjen got drafted [in the fourth round] -- I texted him and said, 'You just can't get rid of me.'"
The Steelers have put a strong focus on drafting players from the Iowa Hawkeyes due to their pro-style schematics. This is now the second year in a row that they have double-dipped on Iowa players, and the third year in a row that they have drafted anyone out of that school. It's almost like they are a pseudo-minor league affiliate for Pittsburgh, all the way down to the black and yellow jerseys.
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Steelers rookie returner Kaden Wetjen points after making a play during his time as an Iowa Hawkeye.
Iowa's style of football also mirrors the Steelers: strong, stingy defense with a ground-and-pound offense to keep wearing down the opponents. That explains why Pittsburgh has put such a strong emphasis on that program, especially with three of their five draft picks from the Hawkeyes being in the trenches. They're built to be tough on the fields in the Midwest, which is exactly what the Black and Gold desires.
Dunker's toughness will be tested against his former Iowa teammates in practice, as he will have to face Yahya Black and Logan Lee nearly every single day. With this great culture fit, he will likely have a blast doing so. It may not take him very long to become the starting left guard for Pittsburgh. His blue-collar country vibe will fit in nicely for this unit as the offensive line looks to gain cohesion in the offseason.
Steelers May Not Have Many Hawkeyes Left After August
The Steelers currently have seven Iowa alumni under contract. However, four of them will be competing for spots on the roster. The only players who seem to have their roster spot already secured are Dunker, fellow rookie Kaden Wetjen, and Yahya Black. All the others are starting out on the bubble, and they will have to put in a lot of work to prove that they are also good culture and physical fits for Pittsburgh.
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Steelers' Yahya Black chases Justin Fields in the backfield while playing the New York Jets in 2025.
Lee was a healthy scratch many weeks, while Brandon Smith and Sebastian Castro have bounced around as practice squad players. The big note here is Kaleb Johnson, who was put in the doghouse early in his rookie season. On top of that, the Steelers drafted another running back and have been unable to stop saying amazing things about him. Despite being a third-round pick, he may not have a spot on the 53-man roster already.
What do you think about the Steelers being the perfect culture fit for Dunker with their Iowa pipeline? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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