Chicago Bears select Gervon Dexter in 2nd round of 2023 NFL Draft

The Chicago Bears are looking to shore up their defensive front and they’ve done so by selecting Florida‘s Gervon Dexter in the 2nd round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the 53rd overall pick.

Dexter has some seriously intriguing potential.

As a 6-foot-6, 310-pound prospect he ran a 4.88-second 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL Combine, while also turning in an impressive 9-foot-2 broad jump.

Dexter contributed along the defensive front for Florida for three years, racking up 125 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and four pass breakups.

It’s debatable whether he fully lived up to expectations at the college level after being rated as one of the top players in the nation coming out of high school, but he’ll have a chance to reach his full potential in the NFL.

As a recruit, Dexter was ranked as a five-star prospect and the No. 7 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Dexter was ranked as the No. 2 defensive lineman in the class and the top player in the state of Florida, hailing from Lake Wales (Fla.) Lake Wales.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Gervon Dexter

One of the things about Dexter is that he’s relatively new to football, even dating back to his high school days. He played only two seasons of high school football before arriving at Florida, so he remains a little raw.

That’s the key with Dexter: If he can unlock his full potential at some point the raw athletic ability is there to be a monster.

Writes NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein in evaluating Dexter:

“Dexter is frequently slow off snap, which tends to have a domino effect on both his hands and positioning in a negative way. His size and traits help him make plays even after being blocked early in the rep, but he will need to improve his hand usage as a pro.

“He’s a limited pass rusher with below average quickness and rush skill but can get there eventually if the play extends. Dexter’s physical profile might be hard for teams to ignore, and he could become a more consistent performer in a 3-4 defense.”

Among the strengths listed for Dexter are his NFL-ready size and frame, his ability to be a two-gap lineman and his strong upper body and quick twitch to shed blocks effectively.

Listed among his weaknesses are his slow get-off, the lack of a solid go-to move and his willingness to go under blocks sometime rather than fighting for positioning.