The Chicago Bears have added some major pieces on both sides of the ball this offseason that could power a renaissance in the Windy City.
Beyond Ben Johnson’s arrival, the Bears revamped the offensive line, bolstered the pass rush, and dropped a pair of potential instant impact pass-catchers in quarterback Caleb Williams’ supporting cast, in tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III.
Suddenly, the Bears boast plenty of star power on both sides of the ball, and perhaps enough firepower to make a run to the playoffs. However, it might be one of the Bears flying under the radar who could make a significant impact this season.
Chicago Bears’ Gervon Dexter an emerging star on defense
While the Bears added a pair of veterans, in Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo early in free agency with sights set on bolstering an inconsistent pass rush, one of Chicago’s young and emerging defensive lineman could be on the cusp of a breakout.
Pro Football Focus’ Jonathon Macri put together a list of each team’s breakout star to watch this season, including defensive lineman Gervon Dexter for the Bears.
“Dexter took a step forward in Year 2,” Macri writes for PFF. “Delivering a 70.3 PFF overall grade, which ranked 24th among players at his position. His 39 quarterback pressures formed a top-20 mark for the regular season, coming in 15 games and across 356 pass-rush snaps, which ranked 39th at the position.
“Over the past two seasons, Dexter has been in on 10 sacks, which ranks behind only Montez Sweat on the team during that span.”
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Originally chosen by the Bears second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Dexter has already logged 71 tackles across his first two seasons while posting 7.5 sacks with four tackles for loss, underscoring his ability to be a disruptive force in the backfield.
With Swat, Jarrett, and Odeyingbo potentially wreaking havoc, if Dexter is able to collapse the pocket up the middle, it might not only elevate the production of the veterans around him but be a spark for the Bears’ defense making major strides.
Chicago Bears have big plans for rookie, ‘home run hitter’ duo
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