There has been no shortage of praise for Chicago Bears’ defensive lineman Gervon Dexter Sr.
During Dexter's rookie season, veteran defensive tackle and former Bear Justin Jones said Dexter is “going to be a force in this league." Two years later, Grady Jarrett complimented Dexter on his approach in the weight room and how he devotes extra time with coaches.
Dexter appreciates those comments, but the former second-round draft pick out of Florida knows that his actions in Year 3 will speak much louder.
“It’s time to put it together,” Dexter said following Day 2 of mandatory minicamp. “That’s what it means to me. I appreciate those guys helping me get to a point where I want to be, but yeah, it’s time to put it together now.”
Dexter started his second season off hot, securing four sacks in the first five games. He also finished with the fourth-most quarterback hits among defensive tackles with 19.
But the 6-foot-6, 312-pound defensive lineman only registered one sack in the final 10 games he played. When considering the next big step for this upcoming season, it boiled down to a simple yet critical concept.
“I think being more consistent,” Dexter said. “Finishing. So yeah, just staying consistent is the next step for me.”
What will help Dexter become more consistent is learning defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s scheme. Montez Sweat discussed how different Allen’s defense is compared to other coordinators. Dexter had similar thoughts to his teammate.
“Yeah, I think because Coach Allen’s defense is like, it’s a lot of different, you know what I mean, he throws in a lot of different fronts, a lot of different ways to get after the quarterback and stuff like that, so I think the type of guy I am, I could play in a lot of those different fronts,” Dexter said. “So just being in it and the way, he’ll move guys around, the way he’ll switch it up on the offense, it’ll be good for not only me but everybody on the defensive line in this defense.”
Dexter believes Allen’s defense will maximize his skill set, and he has also continued to transform his body, putting on more lean mass going into this season. Everything appears to be set for Dexter to have an impactful third season, so it’s time for the talk that has continuously followed him throughout his career to take a step back, and the results to speak for themselves.
