Our countdown of the 25 most important Chicago Bears players continues. We are now starting the top ten. At ten we have defensive tackle Gervon Dexter.
The Chicago Bears inch closer to the start of their training camp. We inch closer to the end of our countdown of the 25 most important players for 2024. We are now in the top ten. At number ten, we have an important member of the defensive line, tackle Gervon Dexter.
Gervon Dexter was the Chicago Bears’ second-round pick in last year’s NFL Draft. He is a hulking man, measuring 6-foot-6, 315 pounds. He takes up a lot of space in the middle, and moving him isn’t easy. He doesn’t just take up space, however. He is very quick and extremely athletic. His footwork is excellent and he explodes off the snap.
Dexter and Justin Jones clogged up the middle very well last season. They were instrumental in the Bears’ jump from 31st against the run in 2022 to number one in 2023. To make a jump like that is an incredible feat. They want to do that again in 2024.
Things will be different this season, though. The Chicago Bears feel so comfortable with Dexter that they let Jones walk via free agency. He is now a member of the Arizona Cardinals. The team feels Dexter will take another big step forward as a starter. They feel he could be a destructive force on the defensive line.
© Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
Dexter had somewhat of a slow start last season. The coaching staff asked him to do something completely different from what he did with the University of Florida. There the coaches had Dexter drop back at the snap. With the Chicago Bears, however, the coaches wanted him to attack.
It took a while for Dexter to adjust. He was stuck overthinking and that slowed him down. However, once the game slowed down for him and he felt comfortable attacking his athletic skills were on full display. He could slip past blockers quickly and cause pressure on the quarterback. Additionally, he shed blockers and stopped ball carriers in their track.
Dexter was able to surprise many blockers with his quickness. This season, however, he needs to show more of his athleticism. Teams will be prepared for him this time since they have plenty of film on him. Dexter has that athleticism and great strength to counter that. Also, he has the experience of last season to lean on.
© Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
As mentioned earlier, Dexter had a bit of a slow start early in the season. He then started to take over. He finished the season with 20 tackles. However, he had a big uptick in production as the season progressed.
In Weeks 1 through 9, Dexter had no sacks, nine tackles, and three quarterback hits. In the final eight games, though, he had 2.5 sacks, 11, tackles, and 9 quarterback hits. His number of snaps played also rose from 23.5 in the first nine weeks to 27.5 the rest of the way.
This season, though, he wants to get off to a quicker start. He knows what is expected of him so he won’t have the big change to deal with. He will be much more comfortable right out of the gate. That will lead to better stats. The Chicago Bears need him to be a force. What happens with their pass rushing is a question so if he can wreak havoc on quarterbacks that will greatly help the defense.
© Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
Dexter worked hard in the offseason to take what head coach Matt Eberflus told him after the end of last season. Eberflus likes his defenders lean. He feels they can be more explosive when they carry around less weight. Dexter showed up to OTAs lean like Eberflus likes and he noticed.
I noticed the body composition first. It was really good. He changed his body in the time he was off, so he’s much leaner now and he’s quicker. That was one thing he had to work on and then pad level, because he’s such a big guy, tall guy. And he’s worked on those things. But his movement, his athletic ability is even better now…
New Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington loves what he has in Dexter. He is impressed with where he is at this time.
Just watching the footwork. Some of those small but very, very important details with him. Watching his stance, watching his pad level. He’s assertive. He believes that he belongs in the lineup and he believes that he can be a major factor.
Gervon Dexter will need that confidence to make an impact on the Chicago Bears’ defense. The unit needs him to step up and cause opponents a lot of headaches. He feels ready to do it. If he does, this could be a very fun and notable season for the Chicago Bears.
Previous rankings: #25: Tory Taylor #24: Velus Jones #23: Jack Sanborn #22: Gerald Everett #21: Kyler Gordon #20: Cairo Santos #19: Kevin Byard #18: Nate Davis #17: Jaquan Brisker #16: Austin Booker #15:Tyrique Stevenson #14: Darnell Wright #13: Khalil Herbert #12: Tremaine Edmunds #11: ColeKmet
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