Everything You Need to Know About Chicago Bears Second-Round Pick Gervon Dexter Sr.
The Chicago Bears wrapped up NFL Draft weekend by making 10 picks. No, they didn’t fill every vacancy, but second-year GM Ryan Poles added potential starters and intriguing depth options to the mix. We’ll meet the Bears’ 10 draft picks, get to know a bit about their past, and where they project to go moving forward.
GERVON DEXTER SR. (ROUND 2, PICK 53)
• Position: Defensive tackle
• College: Florida
• Height, weight, hand size, arm length: 6-6, 310 pounds, 9 1/2″ hands, 32 1/4″ arms
The NFL Draft’s second round has produced a number of solid defensive linemen over the years. If the Bears unearth another one for the list, we’ll be pleased with that outcome.
The Bears are clearly preparing to lean on their defensive coaches and development staff with how they approached drafting players on “D” over the weekend. Because instead of taking defensive tackle Jalen Carter in Round 1, GM Ryan Poles opted to draft a prospect who ranked higher than Carter coming out of high school. That’s kinda fun to think about. Because there is a non-zero chance that all Dexter needs is professional coaching and instruction in order to take his game to another level and make us forget about passing on Carter altogether.
HIGHLIGHTS
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS
- Size and length help open protection edges.
This won’t be the last time we see size and length as being attributes Bears draft picks have listed as a strength.
- Upper-body twitch for sudden block sheds.
You see it in the sizzle reel. Dexter has the ability to discard blockers with sudden movements.
- NFL-ready frame with size to entice.
Clearly, the Bears were enticed enough to draft him with their first of two second-round selections.
WEAKNESSES
- Slow getting off the ball.
That’s the one that stands out and makes for a bright yellow flag. It isn’t a red flag, because I think good coaching can help Dexter here.
- Double teams take him for a ride.
This goes in the “sounds like fun, but actually isn’t” column.
- Will need to develop a solid go-to move for better pocket threat.
It’s very clear that, based on the strengths and weaknesses section that Dexter is an unfinished product as a prospect. Then again, he would’ve probably been a first-round selection if he was a polished prospect.
RELATIVE ATHLETIC SCORE
Relative Athletic Score grades player measurements on a 0-10 scale and compares them to their contemporaries. It is a unique way to give some of these prospects some more depth and perspective.
In addition to having an eye-popping RAS, Dexter was a four-year starter on the Lake Wales (Fla.) High School football team and was a track-and-field standout who was a qualifier for the discus throw. This guy is an athlete and I’m looking forward to seeing how that translates to the football field soon.
WHERE HE FITS
Rotational defense tackle as a rookie, possible Week 1 starter in Year 2, with the potential for more.
Dexter is a raw piece of clay that needs molding to become what we envision it to be. It’ll take time and patience, but the juice could be worth the squeeze here. Sure, there is work that needs to be done, but it also seems he has the tools to get to that point. In a way, the overall profile reminds me a bit of Roy Robertson-Harris. It isn’t a one-for-one comp because of the positions they play and how they ended up on the roster. But both players being lengthy, toolsy athletes whose games have another gear they can reach with quality coaching strikes a chord with me.
Trying to jam Dexter into a specific role right now seems like a silly game to play. It is easy to see him as a run-stuffing 1-technique style of defensive tackle. But perhaps some work on his technique could unleash his athleticism, make him a force when rushing the passer, and slide him over into the 3-technique role. But maybe the best thing for him is to develop as a ballplayer (not just in a particular role) and deploy him in multiple roles along the defensive line. Based on their free agent signings, this front office (and coaching staff) appear to value positional versatility and flexibility along the line. If Dexter develops into a D-lineman who can wear multiple caps, then we might look back at the pick as a win. But there is clearly much work that needs to be done.
