Four months after being drafted 53rd overall in the second round, Bears rookie Gervon Dexter is not the player he was at Florida.
“Completely the opposite player now,” Dexter said. “Like getting off the ball, playing vertical and learning how to do some of those things. Even my rush ability has turned [to] a whole different level.”
That transformation is encouraging for the Bears, but also a reason for patience as Dexter — the player the Bears pivoted to after passing on Georgia’s Jalen Carter — continues a methodical acclimation to Matt Eberflus’ scheme.
Both Dexter and third-round rookie defensive tackle Zacch Pickens figure to be in a game-day rotation with starters Justin Jones and Andrew Billings. But Pickens, whom the Bears took a more simple approach in transitioning to the NFL game, looks more ready to make an immediate impact, coming out of training camp and the preseason. It’s a process with Dexter.
“He’s done a great job trying to do what we ask of him on the field, in the meeting rooms,” defensive line coach Travis Smith said of Dexter, “and I think it’s gotten to the point where he sees when it’s not what it should look like. He feels when all of the sudden, ‘Oh, I’m kind of playing more like I used to play.’ It’s my job to make sure it’s consistent that way.”
At 6-6, 312 with his athleticism, Dexter’s ceiling is pretty high. But be’s still learning the nuances of the position — and like a lot of rookies learning he can’t rely on that athleticism to win battles like he used to.
“I can win some one-on-ones just with my God-given [ability],” Dexter said. “But now there are guys who are just as big and just as strong, so it’s technique vs. technique, so you’ve got to have that good technique … pad level, hands, inside hands. There are a lot of little things you’ve got to have to win here.”
Dexter is definitely motivated. And he feels ready.
“My mentality was always to prove people wrong since I got here,” said Dexter, who felt he should have been a first-round pick. “I definitely had a couple of moments [in the preseason] where I realized, ‘Yeah, I can play in this league and do well in this league.”
Dynamic duo
Dexter and Pickens played as a tandem through much of training camp and the preseason and have big plans to turn their apprenticeship into a starring role eventually.
“Yes sir. We definitely [talk about] that,” Pickens said. “We dap each other every time we’re about to go on the field. We give each other confidence. I feel like if we play our cards right, can’t nobody stop us.”
