MOBILE, Ala. — A popular name for the Las Vegas Raiders as a Day 2 option in the 2026 NFL draft is Iowa offensive lineman Gennings Dunker. The former Hawkeye has experience playing both guard and right tackle, two positions the Raiders could use some help at, and has been taking reps at each spot during the Senior Bowl. Dunker spoke to the media on Wednesday, touching on his position versatility and mentality on the field. Below are a few highlights from his press conference.
Q: Iowa won the Joe Moore Award as the best offensive line in College Football. What does that mean to you, and how would it feel to be teammates with some of those guys in the NFL?
GD: It’s awesome, especially looking at where we started. I’d never done a pass set until I went to college, and when I was younger, me and the guys who won the Joe Moore this year were not very good. So we kind of grew up together those four or five years. We had two guys who were first-year starters, our right guard and left tackle, and they did a great job. Getting to see them progress from where they were at the start of summer to the end of this season is wild. They’re not even the same people, and I’m really excited to see them lead and how they play this year.
Q: How much pressure are the one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl for an offensive lineman?
GD: I think they’re kind of fun! It’s fun to match up with these [defensive linemen] in the practices. I mean, I like all of them. If you lose a rep, screw it. Just gotta let it rip.
Q: Is that next rep mindset something you’ve always had or developed over time?
GD: I mean, you definitely don’t want to give up a sack. I remember when I was younger, like my first two years,, if you would lose any rep, it would be like, you just think about it and fester on it. But then what happens is, one loss rep turns into two, and then a three, and then four, and then you just are terrible for all series. So if you do lose a rep, not that you ever want to, you just have to flush it and move on. You know, that’s something that [Iowa offensive line] coach [George] Barnett always taught us. That’s probably one of the hardest things for young guys who are super competitive to learn, and something I had to learn a little bit, but I just followed Coach Barnett’s lead.
Q: At an All-Star event like the Senior Bowl, how do offensive linemen create chemistry with guys they’ve never played with in a short period of time?
GD: I guess from the outside, where people would think, when you play with different guys, it would be super weird. But I think all offensive linemen are pretty similar. We all kind of goof around together. We’ve been around each other for five days, but we’re already playing really well together. I don’t know if anybody had any missed assignments [Tuesday], and we’re all making calls together, communicating really well. We’ll go to the o-line room early and just kind of jack around. We eat meals together, we’ll all sit down at the same table and talk and hang out, even though we’re competing against each other also. So it’s kind of an awesome thing about offensive line. I can only speak on how the o-line is. I don’t know about other groups, how they interact with each other, but that’s how it always is with o-line.
Q: Do you have a relationship with Iowa alum and two-time first-team All-Pro Tristan Wirfs?
GD: When I went to camp at Iowa in high school, he was actually trying to teach me how to pass set. I think it was gonna take me more than one camp to learn. But he attempted to, which is actually awesome. Looking back at it, someone like him was teaching a 220-pound sophomore in high school how to pass set. I mean, he didn’t have to be there. He probably wasn’t getting paid; he maybe got volunteer hours or whatever. But you know, that kind of speaks to who he is.
Q: What type of feedback have you gotten from NFL coaches and scouts that you can work on before going to the next level?
GD: When run blocking, sometimes I get too excited. Sometimes I need to hit a single, and I’m going for a triple or even a home run. So that’s something I’ve been dialing back on. In pass protection, sometimes my hands are a little wonky. I need to throw in a little sooner or change my hand placement. That’s something I’ve been working on.
Q: What do you mean by hitting home runs and and single as an offensive lineman?
GD: Let’s say you’re playing right tackle under the front side of inside zone. The ball is probably not going to go to you on the front side. So it’s not the most important block on the play, or it’s not like the key block for the play. So you really just don’t want to get beaten inside. Obviously, you want to create some separation, but you just want to do your assignment rather than going for a pancake.
Q: What are teams getting if they draft Gennings Dunker?
GD: Someone who likes to hit and run.
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