Lost in the hype and excitement of all the moves Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles made this offseason is the return of several young and ascending starters in 2025.
The list of potential superstars on offense is headlined by the obvious pair of 2024 first-round picks, Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. But the defense has an up-and-comer as well in Gervon Dexter, Chicago's second-round selection in 2023.
Dexter entered the NFL with a tough road ahead of him after Poles traded out of position to select Jalen Carter in the first round, opting instead to move back one spot for right tackle Darnell Wright. So when Chicago landed Dexter in the second round, the looming career comparisons were inevitable.
Carter has made a massive impact for the Philadelphia Eagles through two seasons, highlighted by his immense contribution to their 2024 Super Bowl run. But Dexter has fared well in his own right, even if he's not quite yet a household name.
That could change this season with the Bears likely to be under the national spotlight from Week 1 on. In fact, Dexter has been so solid through his first two seasons that he's already viewed as Chicago's most underpaid player entering the 2025 season.
"Caleb Williams would be an acceptable answer, too, but he wasn’t as convincing as Daniels and Nix in Washington and Denver, respectively," Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon wrote. "Instead, let’s highlight Dexter, who broke out as a pass-rushing-savvy sophomore starter in Chicago’s blossoming defense and cost the team just $1.5 million. He’ll also come cheap in both 2025 and 2026."
While I wouldn't quite call Dexter the Bears' most underpaid player -- he was a second-round pick, after all -- he certainly is tracking for a massive second contract if he continues down his current path of development.
Dexter, 23, finished last season with a career-high five sacks in 15 starts and more than doubled the number of tackles he made in his rookie season.
In fact, Dexter's Pro Football Focus grade -- 70.3 -- trailed Carter by only a few points. Carter scored 73.3.
And remember, Carter had twice as many pass-rush opportunities (711) as Dexter (356) and only managed two more sacks.
If the Chicago Bears can get ahead on the scoreboard more consistently in 2025, Dexter's opportunities to showcase his money-making skill set (getting after the quarterback) will go up. And if they do, Dexter's national reputation will skyrocket.
As will his next contract demands.
