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The Pittsburgh Steelers will open training camp with Spencer Anderson positioned as the first-team right guard, but the job is not protected by what happened during offseason practices. Rookie Gennings Dunker was drafted to bring competition and physicality to the offensive line. Once the pads come on in Latrobe, Pittsburgh may learn whether Anderson owns a real lead or merely had the first turn.
Anderson earned the opening advantage through experience and versatility. The 2023 seventh-round pick has spent three seasons moving across the line, filling in when injuries created openings and giving Pittsburgh another blocker in heavy personnel packages. He understands NFL speed and has already handled meaningful snaps against professional defensive linemen.
The opportunity at right guard gives him something different. Instead of preparing as the utility option who could be needed almost anywhere, Anderson can focus on winning one permanent job. He has said the right side feels like home, and the Steelers gave him the first-team work there during the offseason program.
That early placement matters, but it does not settle the competition. Organized team activities and minicamp allow coaches to install the offense, evaluate communication and watch players move through assignments. They do not fully reveal whether an offensive lineman can control a defender when practice becomes physical.
Dunker’s strongest traits are built for that stage. Pittsburgh traded up and selected him 96th overall in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft after he started 38 games for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Most of his recent college work came at right tackle, but his size, power and aggressive finishing style made guard the likely NFL destination.
Mike DeFabo highlighted the difference between the offseason and training camp during a recent discussion. Anderson may begin with the starters, but DeFabo believes Dunker’s real opportunity arrives when Pittsburgh starts practicing in pads.
“Position battles are won and lost with pads on, not T-shirts and shorts. And so that’s where I wonder how much Gennings Dunker can start to make a little noise,” DeFabo said.
Dunker does not need to look smoother than Anderson in every drill. He needs to make his physical advantages impossible to ignore. If he consistently moves defenders in the running game, anchors against power and finishes blocks through the whistle, the staff will have a reason to increase his first-team opportunities.
The Steelers drafted Dunker with the future in mind, but the opening at right guard gives him a chance to accelerate the timeline. Pittsburgh did not spend a third-round pick on an interior lineman simply to protect a backup role. The organization saw enough strength and position flexibility to create a real competition.
Anderson’s challenge is proving that experience is more valuable than projection. He may not have Dunker’s draft status, but he has survived in the league by being dependable. He can line up at multiple positions, process assignments and step into the lineup without forcing the offense to change.
The competition also includes Brock Hoffman, who brings starting experience and familiarity with Mike McCarthy from their time together in Dallas. Hoffman prevents the battle from becoming a simple two-player race. Still, Anderson’s first-team position and Dunker’s upside create the clearest contrast entering camp.
Pittsburgh’s right-guard picture matters because much of the offensive line already has a defined direction. Troy Fautanu, Mason McCormick and Zach Frazier form a young foundation. The unresolved right side will determine whether the group settles quickly or spends August rotating combinations.
New offensive line coach James Campen will have to measure more than individual wins. The starting guard must communicate with Frazier, handle movement up front and work with whichever player wins the right tackle job. One powerful block will create attention, but consistency across an entire practice will decide who stays with the starters.
Dunker must also show that his aggression remains controlled. Playing guard reduces the space between him and the defender, which can help a powerful blocker. It also speeds up every decision. A missed hand placement or high pad level can allow an NFL defensive tackle to cross his face before he can recover.
Anderson already understands those consequences. His advantage is knowing what a professional rep feels like when the defense changes the front or brings pressure late. Dunker’s advantage is that the Steelers may eventually see a higher ceiling if his physical style translates immediately.
Steelers Must Let The Pads Settle The Right Guard Fight
The first depth chart should not become the final answer. Anderson deserves to start camp with the lead because he has earned trust inside the building. Dunker deserves a path to take the job because Pittsburgh invested in traits that become more visible when practices turn physical.
The most revealing periods will come in one-on-ones, inside run and full-team work. Anderson must show he can hold his ground and create movement rather than surviving on experience alone. Dunker must prove his college power carries over against stronger, faster defenders while he learns a new position.
Pittsburgh does not need to rush the rookie into the lineup because he was drafted higher. It also cannot allow Anderson’s offseason placement to close the competition before the most important evaluation begins. The goal is finding the five blockers who give the offense its strongest combination, not protecting the order established in shorts.
DeFabo’s point places the battle in the proper frame. Anderson enters Latrobe ahead, but Dunker’s game was never going to be fully displayed during non-contact work. The rookie was drafted for moments when size, leverage and force decide the rep.
Once the pads come on, the right-guard competition becomes real. Anderson has the first chance to keep the job. Dunker has the physical profile to take it.
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