The Chicago Bears have an important draft ahead of them this year. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson likely can’t use free agency as a safety net this time because of salary cap concerns. That means they must find a way to assemble another strong draft class. Evaluations must be on point. So who might they go after? Perhaps the Bears might be interested in the next incarnation of Gervon Dexter. If you don’t agree, it doesn’t matter because that is the direction NFL.com draft insider Lance Zierlein sees them going with the selection of Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks.
The 6’7, 330 lbs giant saw his 2025 season cut short by injuries, but was an emerging force in 2024. He reconfirmed those assessments with a dominant week at the Senior Bowl. Zierlein sees a player with outstanding length and quickness for his size. He’s strong and has a better first step than he gets credit for. The problem is he plays too high with his pad level and tends to lose steam when his first move doesn’t work. Those were the same criticisms of Dexter when he came out in 2023.
Caleb Banks, Florida · DT · Senior
With Kevin Byard III, Jaquan Brisker and C.J. Gardner-Johnson all headed for free agency, Chicago figures to have a need at safety. But the Bears also need to find a way to plug up the middle of their defensive front. Banks offers size, length and upside.
Another Gervon Dexter isn’t what the Bears need.
In the interest of fairness, the defensive tackle deserves some credit. He finished with a career-high six sacks this season, including 11 quarterback hits. He was a good player for the Bears defense. Unfortunately, he hasn’t transformed into the next Chris Jones, which several draft experts claimed was possible after he was drafted. Let’s not forget the Bears took him late in the 2nd round. Would they consider that level of play worth a 1st round pick? That seems unlikely. Then again, we don’t know what defensive coordinator Dennis Allen thinks of Gervon Dexter as a player.
Truth be told, Banks may have a higher ceiling than Dexter. His snap anticipation and get-off are considerably better. That is often what has held Dexter back over the years. It comes down to whether the coaching staff can fix some of his fundamental problems. That is never a guarantee. Then again, you could probably do a lot worse with the 25th pick than a defensive lineman who gives you 5-6 sacks every year. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing. We’ll see if the Bears choose to aim higher.
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