Gervon Dexter Wasted No Time Finding The Perfect Mentor

One thing to say about Gervon Dexter is he doesn't waste time. The 2nd round pick of the Chicago Bears got to work the moment he was drafted. He's already earned a reputation for going 100 mph in every practice, doing everything possible to evolve his game from the somewhat rudimentary, one-sided style he had at Florida. For all of his tremendous ability as a run-stopper, evaluators felt his talents as an interior pass rusher were limited. He and the Bears coaching staff have made it their mission to prove them wrong.

To his credit, Dexter is going the extra mile to help his cause. He isn't relying solely on the coaches to help him learn the intricacies of rushing the quarterback. He's doing the smart thing by asking other players for advice. It appears he has found the perfect mentor for him in the form of newly-arrived defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. The two were spotted working together after practice, the veteran showing the rookie some of his personal tricks. Ngakoue sees tons of potential in Dexter and a little bit of himself.

“Just working on hand and eye coordination. Just basically working on our steps, and he was just asking me, ‘How did I perfect that move, and what do I see when I’m throwing that move?’ I was just giving him some nuggets...

...I see a lot of myself in him, as well. His first step is quick. He’s a young guy, and I feel like he can be a Day 1 guy that can just affect the quarterback, affect the run game. So I just wanted to share my knowledge with him, and you can always learn stuff from the young guys, as well.”

Gervon Dexter couldn't ask for a better teacher.

Two of the biggest knocks on the defensive tackle coming out of college were his lack of a quick first step on pass rushing plays and his raw hand-fighting technique. Ngakoue is among the best in the NFL in both categories. What people don't remember is it wasn't always that way. When he got drafted, there were questions about his get-off too. His 1.65 time in the 10-yard split at the combine was among the lowest of edge rushers at the event. Now he has one of the fast get-offs of any pass rusher in the league.

If he could learn to master that part of the job, so can Gervon Dexter. All the rookie has to do is listen to Ngakoue's advice and put it into practice. It probably won't happen right away. Such techniques take time to learn. That won't be a problem, given his work ethic. He's already been flashing progress in training camp. The next step is carrying it over into game action. His first opportunity against Tennessee didn't yield results. The next comes this Saturday in Indianapolis.