Gervon Dexter Horrendously Disrespected By Recent DT Rankings

Having a losing season makes it too easy to overlook players who managed to perform well despite tough circumstances. The Chicago Bears had some good individual seasons last year despite the 5-12 record. One that remains criminally ignored is Gervon Dexter. The big defensive tackle took a step forward in his development, notching five sacks and 39 total pressures. One would think fans would be ecstatic about what he could accomplish this year. Remember, he's only 23 years old.

Unfortunately, the lack of respect is ongoing. Pro Football Focus recently ranked the 32 best defensive tackles in the NFL. There were the no-brainers at the top, like Chris Jones, Dexter Lawrence, Cam Heyward, and Leonard Williams. So, where did Dexter rank? Well, he didn't. The Bears defender didn't even crack the list.

Meanwhile, Derrick Brown did despite missing the entire season with a knee injury, and D.J. Reader did despite taking a clear step back last season for Detroit. Nothing sums it up better than the two names at the bottom.

Gervon Dexter is a man on a mission.

He's fully aware of the disrespect. The young man has a strong presence on social media. When people have something to say (or not say) about him, he makes sure to archive it. Such things seem only to motivate him further. That suits the Bears just fine. They already rewarded Kyler Gordon with a contract extension. They no doubt hope to do the same with Gervon Dexter after this season. He has all the makings of a long-term building block for this defense. If he can reproduce or improve upon what he did last year, maybe then the "experts" will give him the respect he's due.