The Chicago Bears did an incredible job of adding talent to the roster this offseason. 

After finishing with the worst record in the league in 2022, needs were aplenty. Much attention was given to the defense this offseason in both free agency and the draft. No team in the NFL had fewer sacks than the Bears in 2022 and only the Houston Texans had a worse run defense. 

Luckily for the Bears, they may have found a part of their solution in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Gervon Dexter Sr. was drafted No. 53 overall in 2023. The massive defensive tackle was a force for the Florida Gators in 2022, ending with 55 tackles, four tackles for loss, two tackles, and even one interception. And it appears that Dexter is on his way to being "a force" in the NFL as well. 

Justin Jones is currently listed as the starting 3-tech DT in Chicago. The veteran tackle recently sang the praises of Dexter, saying the rookie "is going to be a force," in the NFL. 

"He’s going to be a force in this league," Justin Jones said. "I really do believe that. I haven’t seen anything like him in a very long time, and I don’t want to put anything in a box with him but the closest person I can see him as is like a leaner Linval Joseph. Just the fact that he’s a big, strong guy who can move. If you’ve ever seen him run in a straight line, and just like run, I’m pretty sure he’s probably beating a lot of people on our team. That’ll surprise you."

That is some strong praise from Jones. The Linval Joseph comparison should make fans excited as Joseph was one of the premier run-stuffers in the league for years. 

Head coach Matt Eberflus has also been impressed by Dexter, offering the following: 

 He’s really learning how to take off. At Florida, he was more of a two-gap guy. So he was more square, moving with the offensive linemen not moving off the movement and the ball in take-off position. He’s working on that. We elongated his stance a little bit to help him do that. We’ve moved him around a little bit. He’s playing nose. He’s playing three. We’ve moved him around some there.

What I like most about him is his hustle. Man he hustles. He’s got his track shoes on and he is running out there, which is great to see from a guy who is [6-foot-6, 313 pounds].

It sounds like Dexter is making a strong impression at Halas Hall this summer. The rookie is currently slated behind Jones on the depth chart but should see plenty of rotational snaps. 

Eberflus has previously discussed the importance of the 3-tech position in his defense. 

"We call it the engine that makes everything go because in the running game, you can’t run at the three and you can’t run away from him, so it’s hard to really dictate where you’re going to run the ball, number one, and it creates a lot of free lanes for your linebackers to run through in the run game," said Ebeflus back in December. 

While Dexter is known for his run-stuffing prowess, don't count out his importance in other aspects of the defense as well. In that same December interview, Eberflus stressed that having a solid interior defensive line is vital to the pass rush as well. 

"But in the pass game, a lot of times when you have two of them, you have a three-technique and you have a defensive end opposite of him, it's hard to move your line that way," explained Eberflus. "He creates a lot of one-on-ones, and he's typically overmatched on a guard. Typically your best offensive linemen are on the outside and if you have your best player on the inside, that's certainly an advantage for you."

Dexter will be joined by fellow rookie Zacch Pickens and veterans Justin Jones, DeMarcus Walker, and Andrew Billings on what should be a much-improved d-line in 2023. 

Featured image via © Doug Engle | 2023 Mar 30