The Pittsburgh Steelers wouldn't have spent two picks in the top three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft if they didn't think Max Iheanachor and Gennings Dunker were going to be a big part of their offensive line's future. But that hardly means they are going to be handed starting jobs.
Despite their respective draft statuses, the Steelers made it clear that Iheanachor and Dunker will have to earn their keep and work their way up the ladder.
With two Steelers training camp practices in the books , we've gotten a great look at who the team chose to deploy in their offensive line units. Early in camp, the first-team offensive line , from left to right, has been Troy Fautanu, Mason McCormick, Zach Frazier, Spencer Anderson, and Dylan Cook.
The Steelers' second-team offensive line has primarily been Broderick Jones, Brock Hoffman, Ryan McCollum, Steven Jones, and Max Iheanachor. And their third-team O-line has consisted of Jack Driscoll, Lorenzo Thompson, Greg Crippen, Gennings Dunker, and Doug Nester.
This means that first-round pick Max Iheanachor is currently running as the second-string right tackle, while third-round Gennings Dunker has been playing as the third-string right guard. These are hardly impact roles on the team.
Thankfully, there's lots of time for this to change.
Because of the team's substantial draft investments, it's probably safe to assume that both Iheanachor and Dunker will be starters eventually . But that's hardly guaranteed to happen when the season opens up. As coaches often do, Mike McCarthy is making the Steelers' rookie offensive linemen start from the bottom and work their way up the depth chart.
Iheanachor's biggest competition appears to be Dylan Cook, who filled in admirably for Broderick Jones late last season. Because of Cook's impressive performance in his first NFL action, the job could be his to lose early in the season, and Iheanachor may need to outperform the 28-year-old if he wants to start early in his rookie season.
The competition looks even stiffer for Dunker, who not only has to edge out Spencer Anderson for the right guard role but will also be competing against newcomer Brock Hoffman. Both Anderson and Hoffman have years of experience under their belt and are aiming to prove that they can be full-time starters in this league.
In a perfect world, we would love to see a 22-year-old Iheanachor and a 23-year-old Dunker earn their respective starting jobs outright. This would offer much hope for the future of the Steelers' offensive line and would round out a young, promising group that already includes Fautanu, Frazier, and McCormick.
However, McCarthy and offensive line coach James Campen already made it crystal clear early at Steelers training camp that Iheanachor and Dunker won't be handed starting jobs. Let's hope the rookies are up to the challenge and prove themselves this summer.
This article was originally published on www.stillcurtain.com as Steelers send clear message to rookie linemen with early rotation .
