The Potential Breakout Nobody’s Talking About: Gervon Dexter Sr.
Gervon Dexter Sr.’s career has been a roller coaster to this point.
However, that’s not entirely unexpected.
He was an extremely raw prospect coming out of the University of Florida. Incredible physical attributes but flawed technique. He also had one of the most confusingly slow get-offs in recent memory. That was why he was still on the board with the 53rd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Bears were happy to end his wait at that point, and I think this is the year that investment could pay major dividends for Chicago.
There is a notion that Dexter hasn’t lived up to expectations through his first two seasons.
I think there are two significant reasons for that, and neither is fair to the 23-year-old.
First Off, There’s the Jalen Carter Factor
The fan base was split on Carter coming out of the draft. Some, like myself, were enamored with his skill set and loved the idea of the Bears drafting him if he were on the board with the ninth pick. Others were hesitant and worried about how he would fit in the locker room.
For two years, nobody has questioned whether Carter has been an incredible addition to Vic Fangio‘s Eagles‘ defensive front. The University of Georgia product immediately established himself as one of the league’s most disruptive defensive tackles. It’s fair to question how dominant he would be if he weren’t playing on one of the league’s most talented defenses, though. I believe in his talent, but I also don’t doubt that he’s a major benefactor of those around him.
Both sides have valid arguments in the Jalen Carter debate, which continues to rage on in some circles to this day. Still, it’s hard to fault the Bears for their process. They desperately needed to find a right tackle, and there were only five starting tackles to come out of that class. Only one of them, Dawand Jones, was drafted outside of the first round, and he’s far from a finished product. You could also make a strong case that Darnell Wright is the best of the bunch, too.
Returning to the plot, players selected in the mid-50s are usually not compared to a top 10 pick. That clearly hasn’t been the case with Dexter, though.
The fact that Chicago made multiple additions to the interior this offseason has also led to people sleeping on Dexter. I think the Grady Jarrett signing can effectively be chalked up to Dennis Allen being familiar with him during his time in New Orleans, and the front office being surprised he became available on the first day of free agency. Meanwhile, Shemar Turner provides position versatility and has too much potential to pass up late in the second round.
The additions of Jarrett and Turner are not, in any way, an indication that the front office isn’t confident in Dexter. Every team wants to build a potent defensive line rotation, and the Bears took a big swing at that this offseason. While they will be vying for playing time at the same position, I’m confident Dexter will have every opportunity to see the field. In fact, I think the added competition could be the perfect catalyst to light a fire under him.
The only reason that would be fair to criticize Dexter is if he hadn’t shown any signs of development.
It would be fair to criticize Zacch Pickens, who has played 558 fewer defensive snaps despite being selected only 11 picks after him, for that reason. I was honestly surprised to see that Pickens has played as many snaps as he has. His only memorable play was when he lit up Will Levis for a sack in his first preseason game. I only remember it because I thought the Bears were going to prove me wrong for being critical of them for drafting him. To be blunt, he’s been virtually invisible, and that’s the last thing you want to be as a defensive lineman.
Dexter, on the other hand, has been far from invisible. In fact, he’s been downright dominant at times. Unfortunately, he followed up those periods of dominance with ones where he has only held his own. Consistency has been an issue. He struggled to stand out early in his rookie year before catching fire late in the year. He practically flipped the script last year, when he had four sacks in the first five games before fading the rest of the way, taking down the opposing QB only one more time across his final ten games. Still, he managed to finish fourth among defensive tackles with 19 hits on QBs. Not too shabby.
Consistency Issues Are Nothing New for Young Defensive Tackles
He has only one fewer sack (7.5) than Chris Jones had through his first two seasons. Meanwhile, he has one more sack than Dexter Lawrence did. He has 4.5 more sacks than Nnamdi Madubuike did and two more than Jeffery Simmons did. He is within two sacks of where Quinnen Williams and DeForest Buckner were at this point in their career. Cameron Heyward didn’t even start until his third season and didn’t reach his first Pro Bowl until his seventh.
None of the players I mentioned above reached a Pro Bowl or had an All-Pro vote to their name through their first two seasons. Three of them (Jones, Simmons, and Buckner) achieved one or both in their third season, though. It took three others (Lawrence, Williams, and Madubuike) until their fourth season to receive the honor. I specifically mentioned these players for a reason. They all play the same position, but they also have (somewhat) similar playing styles to Dexter—penetrating, athletic, interior linemen. Jones always represented the high-water mark for what the six-foot-six, 326-pounder could be if everything clicked.
Still, Dexter is far from a finished product, as he should be at this stage in his career.
The sack production garners the headlines, but he also must improve in his ability to stop the run if he wants to take the next step. Andrew Billings is a near-lock to play on first down at nose tackle, but there will be an opportunity for playing time next to him. If I had to guess, Jarrett and Dexter will probably split time at three-technique on early downs, with Turner being more of a designated pass-rusher once he gets acclimated.
Dexter might not be the most important player on the defensive front, as I think that recognition belongs to the $98 million man, Montez Sweat. However, I do believe he is the biggest wildcard of the bunch. His development will be the deciding factor in just how good this defensive line will be.
They might struggle to get consistent pressure on opposing passers if he doesn’t take the leap.
However, if he takes a similar year three jump to the players I mentioned above, then watch out.
Discover more from Chicago Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Bears