Making proclamations about rookies this early in the year is never a wise idea. That said, it's also rarely a bad sign when one of them is turning heads already. Darnell Mooney proved that in 2020. Jaquan Brisker proved it last year. So it's worth getting excited when a young player flashes his ability against veterans. That appears to have happened at veteran minicamps. According to multiple reports, 2nd round pick Gervon Dexter had a dominant Tuesday practice for the defense.
Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago provided details. It's clear the "run defender only" label many evaluators gave Dexter before the draft may have been a mistake. He was in the fact of Justin Fields often.
"The first-string offense faced the second-string defense, and the film session won't be pretty.
On first-and-10, rookie defensive tackle Gervon Dexter got quick penetration against Teven Jenkins to notch a minicamp sack for a loss of 11. Fields hit Khalil Herbert out of the backfield for 5 yards on second down before finding Tyler Scott at the sticks for a gain of 11. Terrell Lewis beat Darnell Wright on the play, but Fields got the pass off (potentially coach assisted) to move the sticks, but only 21.9 seconds remained.
On first-and-10, both Dexter and Andrew Billings busted into the backfield for another sack, leaving the Bears just a Hail Mary chance."
Dexter's common comparison about top evaluators was Chris Jones. While there wasn't enough consistency on tape, the flashes were eye-popping. If a team got him to attack up the field using his athleticism and power, it was felt that he could be unblockable. New teammate Justin Jones had a comparison of his own.
The Chicago Bears may have something brewing.
Nobody questions Dexter's physical upside. He has every tool you could want in an NFL defensive lineman. It was about whether he could improve his burst off the snap and his hand-fighting technique. If he's already giving guys like Teven Jenkins and Cody Whitehair problems, then it's a promising sign for the future. Now one must remember this is minicamps. Players aren't in pads yet. The offensive linemen aren't allowed to get too physical with their blocks. That may have played a part in this.
Still, it's hard not to feel optimistic about Dexter. He is already showing progress in the areas many said he'd have to improve. If this carries into Chicago Bears training camp, the excitement meter will really start to spike. Everybody knows how important an interior pass rusher is to this defense. If Dexter can live up to his massive potential, the expectations of this team just went up another notch. The defensive line was supposed to be he weakness. That may not be the case.
