Dexter ready to step up on Bears’ defensive line
The Bears will return to the practice field on July 23 when they hold their first training camp practice under new head coach Ben Johnson.
Here’s a look at No. 10 on the list of the most important players heading into the 2025 season. Check back over the next two weeks to see the rest of the list.
No. 10 Gervon Dexter
Position: Defensive tackle
Experience: Third season
Looking back: Bears general manager Ryan Poles envisioned Gervon Dexter as part of the future of his defense. Poles selected him in the second round, 53rd overall, in the 2023 draft with the hopes Dexter would be a foundational piece in the interior of the defensive line.
Over two seasons, Dexter has shown glimpses that he can be that player. After serving as a backup during his rookie season, Dexter stepped into the starter’s role last year. He got off to a good start before his production dwindled as the team struggled.
Dexter had four sacks in the first five games of last season to go along with eight quarterback hits and 14 tackles. But he ended the year with five sacks, 19 quarterback hits and 51 tackles as the defensive line struggled to apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks.
His production likely slowed for multiple reasons, including his starting partner Andrew Billings missing the last nine games of the season with a pectoral injury, which allowed teams to focus on Dexter.
Looking ahead: This season will be important for Dexter’s career and whether the Bears think he can be a part of their future. Dexter has two years left on his rookie contract, and he’ll try to prove he can live up to what Poles envisioned a couple years ago.
He’ll have a strong supporting cast. Poles signed veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett during free agency and selected tackle Shemar Turner in the second round of this year’s draft. Billings will also return to the rotation.
Dexter has already taken more of a leadership role during the offseason. He invited fellow defensive linemen to Miami during the offseason to work out and spend time together. Although Johnson has only worked with him for a couple months, he was impressed with what he saw from Dexter as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator last season.
“He’s a guy that really came on last year,” Johnson said in the spring. “You could feel it. With Billings being out last year, you could feel him grow into a little bit more of, ‘I need to step up here.’ You could see it. You could see it on the tape. There was growth. There was more production, particularly in the pass rush game.”
Dexter will try to continue that growth in Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s aggressive play-calling. During the spring, Allen emphasized the importance of pressure from the interior of the line for everything to work defensively.
With more opportunities, Dexter should get a good chance to prove his worth this season.