The Chicago Bears surprised a lot of people with their approach in the 2024 NFL draft. Everybody knew the team needed a dynamic interior pass rusher to make their defense go. Despite some of the character red flags, Georgia’s Jalen Carter felt like the obvious choice. Instead, GM Ryan Poles passed on him in favor of right tackle Darnell Wright. Then, one round later, he selected Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, a player many felt was destined to be a run-stuffer in the NFL. Experts were shocked. One person who probably wouldn’t have been was Montez Sweat.
That sounds weird. Sweat was with Washington when the draft occurred in March. He wouldn’t join the Bears until months later in October. However, it turns out the veteran had become aware of Dexter before Chicago even drafted him. Brag Biggs of the Chicago Tribune revealed the wild story of how the two came together by chance and ended up teammates.
Sweat had an inkling of what kind of player Dexter might turn into. When he started offseason training in Pensacola, Fla., he met Dexter at a facility where he was ramping up for the scouting combine. As they say, players know players.
“Before he got drafted, I understood he was going to be a dynamic guy,” Sweat told me. “You don’t just see big, tall guys that can move the way he does and come with that kind of strength. When I arrived, noticed he was here too, I was like, ‘(Shoot), I’m ready for that boy to blossom like a flower for real.’ It’s only a matter of time. He’s just going to keep getting better and better. Strong and he can move.”
Montez Sweat understands how football works.
If you have all the tools, the only thing holding you back is the necessary fundamentals to utilize them. He should know. Sweat came into the league as one of the most physically gifted defensive linemen in recent memory. People hadn’t seen somebody with his mix of size, length, power, and speed too often. Now, he is one of the dominant defensive ends in the league. It is the same with Dexter. He’s big, long, powerful, and more athletic than most defensive tackles in the sport. Yet people were convinced he had no future as an interior pass rusher because of what he showed in college.
This is why teams are often willing to bet on traits over college production. They know it’s far easier to teach technique than train strength and speed. So the Bears took a calculated risk on Dexter, feeling his excellent work ethic and character would carry him through. It also hasn’t hurt that he’s had Montez Sweat as a mentor for the past two months. The rookie is breaking out of his shell with remarkable speed. He has 2.5 sacks and nine quarterback hits in his last seven games.
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The terrifying part is he’s only 22 years old. If he is progressing this fast, there is no telling what he might be going into next season.
