If there was one pick by the Chicago Bears on Day 2 of the 2023 draft that was met with confusion, it was probably their second. They finally went on the clock at 53rd overall on Friday evening. Many fans were hoping for one of the top centers or an edge rusher. Instead, GM Ryan Poles pulled a surprise when he secured Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. There was no denying the physical appeal. He’s a 6’6, 310 lbs beef slab with 4.88 speed. Athletes like that are rare. The only problem was his production didn’t reflect this potential.
Dexter only had five sacks total in college. That doesn’t speak to somebody that can fill the ultra-important three-technique position in Matt Eberflus’ defense. However, Poles didn’t flinch when asked about that. In fact, he had an explanation for why the production was never there. It never had anything to do with Dexter’s ability. It was more about what was being asked of him.
“You’re kind of piecing it together. Foot speed. The ability to get skinny. The acceleration of burst to finish. The toolbox in your pass-rush skills. Those go into it. And then what is he asked to do at his school? So for Dexter, little bit more of a square stance, read and mirror, when that’s the case, you’re not really on your toes and penetrating and getting up the field, so you got to piece those things together and that can help you show where the upside is and how in our system it can be even better in terms of how they affect the quarterback.”
In other words, Florida’s coaches never let Dexter attack up the field. During the few instances he was allowed to, the results were impressive.
Poles understood a vital component of evaluating Gervon Dexter.
People can often forget one of the critical parts of scouting is recognizing how a player was used in college. Were coaches taking advantage of his biggest strengths? One could argue Florida didn’t do that with Dexter. They were focused on utilizing his impressive power to help stop the run. To his credit, the young defensive tackle did that job well. It isn’t a surprise, either. Most of his college career was spent playing for Todd Grantham. The former Gators defensive coordinator is used to a 3-4 scheme, which doesn’t use a penetrating style with defensive linemen.
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Put simply, how the Bears deploy Gervon Dexter in the NFL will be significantly different from his college days. He will be a force on the interior if he plays up to his massive athletic potential. The size, power, and quickness are there. Probably his biggest hurdle is his snap anticipation. He can be slow off the snap, which hurts his pass rush impact. Part of the problem was, again, how the coaches deployed him. Expect Eberflus and his coaches to change his entire approach.
