If there is one thing the Chicago Bears have traditionally had great success at, it’s stacking their defensive line with outstanding talent. There was the 1960s with Doug Atkins, Stan Jones, and Ed O’Bradovich. In the 1980s, it was Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, and Richard Dent. Then in the 2000s, it was Tommie Harris, Alex Brown, and Adewale Ogunleye or Julius Peppers. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus understand they need a dynamic front four to make this defensive system work. That is why they invested heavily there this off-season and one of the biggest was Gervon Dexter.
He was the Bears’ second pick of the 2023 draft, going 53rd overall in the 2nd round. Experts felt the team had landed a stout run-stopper with great size and power. Poles and Eberflus thought he was capable of more, thanks to his freakish athleticism. It might take time, but he could become a complete football player. According to backup quarterback P.J. Walker, the wait might not be as long as people think. Dexter has apparently been giving him and the offensive line fits for weeks.
It’s getting to the point where there is no avoiding him.
“I just said it today, that’s a huge dude. Like huge. And for him to just go out there and push the pocket and get the batted down balls he’s getting, he’s a hard dude to throw around, and you can feel his presence in that middle of the field when you’re back there playing quarterback. So for us, that’s huge because I think it starts up front, especially playing quarterback, nobody don’t like to throw around him. So I mean, you have him pushing that pocket, that right there could cause a lot of havoc, and I think it’s going to help the secondary because they’re going to feel like they can go out there and make plays on the football now that you get somebody that can go out there and push that pocket and push that center and that guard all the way into the quarterback.”
Gervon Dexter is learning to use his full toolbox.
A few months ago, some highly respected draft analysts admitted they saw glimpses of All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones in the rookie’s game. The problem was they weren’t numerous enough. He lacked consistency. Part of it was how Florida used him. They deployed Dexter primarily as a two-gap run defender. He was very good at it, but such an approach failed to exploit his other capabilities. Eberflus and his coaching staff spent the summer working to do just that. It appears their efforts have yielded fruit.
Not only is Gervon Dexter still a menace against the run, but now he’s become a nuisance in the passing game. He’s getting constant pressure up the middle on both Walker and Justin Fields. Even better is that he’s using his 6’6 frame to knock down passes at the line. Jones is also known for that, with 33 pass deflections in his career. It is way too early to say Dexter is destined for stardom, but one must admit nobody expected this much impact from him so soon.
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