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Shaw Local is counting down the top 25 most important Bears for the 2023 season.
What makes one player more important than another? That’s subjective, of course. But for our purposes it comes down to this: Are the Bears worse off if this player can’t play? Does this player have untapped potential or past greatness to live up to? Is his story going to be one fans follow closely this season?
The best player on the team isn’t always the most important, but he certainly can be. We will release one player every day between now and the start of training camp.
No. 18 Gervon Dexter
Position: Defensive tackle
NFL experience: Rookie
Last year’s ranking: N/A
Looking back: A year ago, the Bears let longtime defensive tackle Akiem Hicks walk away in free agency. New Bears general manager Ryan Poles showed no nostalgia for many of the Bears’ longtime veteran defenders. With that, he set about retooling the defensive line in the image of what head coach Matt Eberflus wanted. At the defensive tackle position, that meant more athleticism and agility from the big fellas. The Bears signed veteran Justin Jones, who started all 17 games, but the position remained a work in progress.
During the draft, the Bears put an emphasis on the defensive tackle position by taking Florida tackle Gervon Dexter and South Carolina tackle Zacch Pickens in the second and third rounds, respectively. Dexter was the 53rd overall pick, the Bears’ first since taking Darnell Wright at No. 10 overall.
While Poles didn’t find an edge rusher – arguably the team’s biggest need – in the draft, he certainly did address the interior of the D-line.
Looking forward: Dexter comes to Chicago as a 6-foot-6, 312-pound defensive tackle who can move. During OTAs, his teammates raved about his athleticism and his quick first step. The coaching staff has worked with him on that first step and is in the process of making minor adjustments to his approach.
Dexter had five sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss over three seasons in college, but at Florida he played in a completely different defensive scheme than he will in Chicago. With defensive tackles, it’s often easier to see the impact they had on tape than on the stat sheet. The expectation is that Dexter will be in the defensive line rotation, even if he’s not necessarily starting as a rookie. The Bears will test him this season, as they will all their rookies. Just how much can he handle at this level? Coming from an SEC school, the hope is the transition isn’t overwhelming. Even so, it might take some time to adjust to a new scheme.
The goal is for Dexter to become a feature of the defensive line in the years to come. The 53rd overall pick is a premium selection. Expectations will always be high for any player selected so high.
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