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Los Angeles Chargers Top Draft Targets: Iowa Offensive Lineman Gennings Dunker

The Chargers need interior offensive line help and may find the right match in a college tackle converting to guard in the NFL.
Thomas Martinez|
Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Los Angeles ChargersIowa Hawkeyes

The Los Angeles Chargers will be looking for offensive line help in the 2026 draft. Head coach Jim Harbaugh attempted to not give away draft strategy when asked at his press conference at he annual owners meeting in Phoenix Arizona when asked about the status of the offensive line. Harbaugh's answer regarding the status of the offensive line made it clear, the Chargers are not done adding to the group.

The Chargers lack of aggressive moves in free agency, aside from the early addition of new starting center Tyler Biadasz, has been confusing for fans, media and figures around the NFL. Los Angeles had and still has cap space, but did not target any of the big-name free agents on the open market.

If the Chargers front office is determined not to overspend and find value on contracts, getting rookie contributors on the offensive line will be a massive next step.

2026 Draft Class: Guards

The Chargers are in a unique scenario, having completely changed the style of offensive linemen they will be looking for from 2025 to 2026. The arrival of Mike McDaniel signals a switch from a scheme with more emphasis on gap and power blocks, which the Chargers ran more of under Greg Roman, to a wide zone scheme that requires more athletic offensive linemen.

The 2026 draft class isn't the deepest guard class in general and less so with guards capable of thriving in a wide zone scheme. There will additionally be a significant number of college offensive tackles who will convert to guard in the NFL.

Iowa's Gennings Dunker

Iowa Hawkeyes offensive lineman Gennings Dunker
Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa's head coach Kirk Ferentz has been pumping out quality NFL prospects along the offensive line since the early 80's. Iowa's starting right tackle for the past three seasons, Gennings Dunker is trench veteran who will be looking to move to guard in the NFL. Check out my full profile on Dunker here.

The man and the myth of Gennings Dunker is legendary. His long flowing red locks paired with his savage finishes have garnered him a significant fanbase.

Dunker excels on the move, he does not have the movement skills to survive at tackle in the NFL and will be a prime candidate to move inside. He has played both left and right guard before but in limited snaps in 2022. Iowa runs a Shanahan-inspired outside zone scheme, and Dunker has excelled blocking on the move and the second level. He plays through the whistle and enjoys burying defenders.

Dunker does have the strength and power to handle interior defensive linemen as well. He locked horns with Iowa State's Domonique Orange on multiple occasions and showed why his projection back inside to guard is easier to imagine.

Jim Harbaugh has displayed a love for finishers along the offensive line in the past. With the Chargers in need of a guard capable of climbing to the second level, Dunker and Los Angeles may be a perfec match.

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Thomas Martinez
THOMAS MARTINEZ

Thomas Martinez has covered the Chargers and the NFL draft since 2022. Born and raised as a Chargers fan, experienced the improbable Super Bowl run in the 94’ season as a child, survived Ryan Leaf, the Marlon McCree fumble and Nate Kaeding in the playoffs. He graduated from UC Riverside with a degree in Political Science and The University of Redlands with an MBA.

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