The Chicago Bears stay at 53 and select defensive tackle, Gervon Dexter
The Chicago Bears made a move yesterday, moving down from nine to 10 before selecting Darnell Wright, right tackle out of Tennessee. The Bears decided to pass on Jalen Carter at pick number nine and the Eagles took him instead. Was it the right move? Time will tell, but Wright is the best way to protect Justin Fields -- Jalen Carter is not.
We all were sitting on the edge of our seats wondering if the Chicago Bears would make a trade to move up from 53 into the top of the second round. That did not happen. Instead, Poles sat at 53 and found their 3-technique.
The Chicago Bears select Gervon Dexter, DT - Florida
We all knew how important it was for this defense to find some pass rush and that is exactly what Gervon Dexter brings to the table. Dexter was a 5-star recruit out of high school and was actually rated higher than Jalen Carter. Dexter did not have the production that Carter had in Georgia, but that could also be due to Georgia having a more dominant defense.
Carter finished with two sacks in 2022 and four sacks in 2021. He only had a total of 32 hurries over those two years. In comparison, Jalen Carter finished with 48 during that span. What I love about Gervon Dexter is his size. He is 6'6" and 310 pounds. He has a somewhat similar build to DeForest Buckner. The two main differences are slightly shorter arms and smaller hands. Buckner found great success in Matt Eberflus' system and the Chicago Bears will need to hope that Dexter can do the same.
As I am writing this, the Chicago Bears are back on the clock. I'll leave that for another article, but Ryan Poles is making trades and moves.
Next. Why would the Bears pass on Jalen Carter?. dark
Back to Gervon Dexter. The big knock on him is his motor. This is one reason I was not high on him in Chicago because I did not think he fit the HITS principle. Clearly, the Chicago Bears scouting department must have felt comfortable with what they saw and heard from Dexter during the pre-draft process. When he is on, his tape looks fantastic. Now it's time for him to get to work. The first two picks are in the trenches and this team is looking better by the minute.