Former Steelers Believe Spencer Anderson In ‘Pole Position’ To Start, Explain How Gennings Dunker Can Win

While Spencer Anderson ran with the first-team offense, is he in the driver’s seat to claim a starting guard spot? Former OL Trai Essex and QB Charlie Batch believe so, analyzing the upcoming training camp battle. Having lost Isaac Seumalo in free agency, Pittsburgh has accumulated a group of candidates, but they have no starter—yet.

Spencer Anderson is in his fourth season with the team, the Steelers’ former 2023 seventh-round pick. A career backup, he has made several starts at left and right guard due to injuries the past two years. Last season, he graduated to the role of sixth lineman, playing extensively as an extra blocker.

Now with a fullback, that role seems likely to be far less prominent, especially if Anderson starts. But if he does, he’ll have beaten out Brock Hoffman and rookie third-round pick Gennings Dunker. Hoffman has a history with HC Mike McCarthy, but is also a career reserve. While Dunker has a pedigree, he is also transitioning from tackle.

“I think Spencer Anderson has the edge because he has the experience,” said Essex on his Snap Count podcast. On Gennings Dunker, he said, “He needs to get low. He needs to work on his pass protection and his footwork and his hand placement. Spencer Anderson, I think, has the edge, and I think he wins that battle when it comes to training camp.”

Batch agreed that Anderson is “definitely in pole position”, seeing a tough road for Dunker. It’s worth noting that neither one seemed to seriously weigh Hoffman as a candidate, which could certainly change once we get to training camp. More than the others, Hoffman leans into physicality. That’s hard to show off without pads.

“What’s gonna have to stand out is gonna have to be his pass protection,” Batch said of what Dunker must prove to be able to start as a rookie. “He’s gonna have to go up, maybe starting second or third, but the way that he’s gonna get evaluated is how well he does against Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton and Derrick Harmon. If he stands up against those three and proves at the varsity level that he can handle those guys and do it on a consistent basis throughout training camp, that’s gonna now put him to the forefront.”

The Steelers got three good years out of Isaac Seumalo at left guard, but would not pay him over $10 million per season, as he got from the Cardinals in free agency back in March. That was partly because of their belief in Spencer Anderson, but certainly not entirely. They added Brock Hoffman in free agency, at least, for depth, but Gennings Dunker is also a piece for the future.

It’s worth noting that even Anderson will be a free agent next year, though to date he hasn’t done anything that would command a sizeable contract. If he starts this season and plays well, however, the Steelers could have a hard time holding onto him. A good thing, then, that they’ll have Dunker under contract for 2027.