Gervon Dexter, Defensive Tackle
This offseason, the Chicago Bears felt good enough about Gervon Dexter‘s rookie campaign to let Justin Jones, last season’s starter, walk. Dexter is now tasked with being the starter on the line. The Bears feel he is ready to take a bit step forward this season.
There is something that people need to know about Dexter’s development. He started out slowly because of the different expectations the Bears had as opposed to what he did at college with the Florida Gators.
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The Gators’ coaching staff taught him to take a step back at the snap. What we need to know is that Dexter came into Florida very raw. In high school he was more into basketball than football. He did not start playing football until his junior year. He had so much talent that he soon had teams all over him.
Now, after his time in Florida, the Bears coaching staff asked him to do something different from what he always did. Of course, it took some time for him to get accustomed to it. When he did, however, he was very effective. He was part of the reason the Bears ranked number one in rush defense.
Additionally, Dexter showed incredible athleticism for his size. For being 6-foot-6, 315 pounds he is incredibly nimble. He has great lateral movement, a variety of moves to shed blockers, and quickness to get to the quarterback. He had 2,5 sacks last season but he could have more now that he is the starter.
Dexter already showed that the confidence the Chicago Bears have in him is well-placed. In one of the practices, on consecutive plays he flushed quarterback Caleb Williams out on successful plays, caused an incompletion, and had a play that would be considered a sack.
Additionally, Dexter has hit the B-gap quicker and more consistently than he did in his rookie season. It is apparent that his exploding forward off the snap is now second nature to him. If he can continue that through training camp it is sure to be a big season for him.
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