Chicago Bears DT Gervon Dexter ‘not consistent’ but improving with every day

LAKE FOREST – Gervon Dexter’s transition to the NFL was always going to take time.

The Bears selected the defensive tackle out of Florida with the No. 53 overall draft pick in April, their first of two second-round selections. Dexter played only three seasons of college football in a defensive scheme that looked nothing like Matt Eberflus’ 4-3 scheme in Chicago.

Since he arrived in the spring, the Bears have been working with Dexter on altering his first step and improving his quickness. With the 6-foot-6, 312-pound tackle, they saw incredible raw athletic ability that just needed some refinement.

That process is ongoing.

“It’s not consistent where it needs to be,” Eberflus said after Sunday’s family fest practice at Soldier Field. “Along with that get off, because he’s such a tall man, his pad level, he’s really got to understand that charge. He is really strong and he can do some things being a little higher and getting away with it. But if he wants to be elite, he’s going to have to learn how to get off consistently and keep his pads down as he does that.”

Dexter said Tuesday after practice that there really aren’t any tricks to getting off the ball quickly. It’s more about keying in on the football, not the opposing offensive linemen, and repping it over and over again.

The Bears envision Dexter as a disruptive defensive tackle who can penetrate through the middle of the offensive line. They want him to get after the quarterback and wreak havoc from the middle. The biggest key to the 4-3 scheme is being able to rush the passer with only four players. If pressure can come from the inside as well as the outside, that will make the front four more effective.

Dexter felt like the things the Bears are asking him to do are exactly what he has always wanted to do, even if Florida didn’t utilize him in that way.

“It was an easier transition for me, I would say, just because I always wanted to get down in that stance and just get to go,” Dexter said. “I always wanted to be able to just rush the passer and utilize and showcase my talents.”

“It was an easier transition for me, I would say, just because I always wanted to get down in that stance and just get to go. I always wanted to be able to just rush the passer and utilize and showcase my talents.”

—  Gervon Dexter, Bears defensive tackle

With Dexter and fellow rookie Zacch Pickens in the mix at defensive tackle, the Bears have done a nearly complete overhaul of the defensive line. That overhaul has been ongoing, even with the recent addition of edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue. Defensive tackle Justin Jones is the only holdover from last year’s starting lineup on the defensive line.

The sheer volume of additions shows how important it was to revamp the D-line after an atrocious season a year ago. General manager Ryan Poles signed Ngakoue and defensive end DeMarcus Walker. He signed tackle Andrew Billings and edge rusher Rasheem Green. Plus he drafted Dexter and Pickens.

The Bears didn’t necessarily throw big money at the problem, but they threw bodies at it. Eberflus believes that improved play from the defensive tackle spot will make a difference for the edge rushers and the defense as a whole.

“I had two good ones when I was the defensive coordinator [with the Colts], and it makes the world of difference,” Eberflus said. “Because if you’re able to set edges at the defensive end ... and then if you’re able to keep your gap and dominate inside with the two tackles, there’s really not a lot of work for others to do.”

The Bears hope that Dexter, with time, could be one of those difference makers on the interior. But first, he has to master the basics.

“Getting in a stance, getting down and getting off the ball, keying the ball, keying your man and getting out of your stance,” Dexter said. “There’s no tricks. Staying consistent is something that you’ve got to do to play in this league.”