Gervon Dexter is Officially on Notice After the Draft, Even if No One is Saying It

The Chicago Bears entered the 2026 NFL draft with the defensive line being their biggest need, and yet general manager Ryan Poles did not select a defensive lineman until the sixth round. In fact, he didn't pick a single defensive player during Day 2 of the draft at all. This is why, despite their first-round selection of Dillon Thieneman being dubbed a home run, the Bears' draft grades are a polarized mess.

However, their one addition to the defensive line isn't getting talked about nearly enough, nor is the threat he poses to established starter Gervon Dexter Sr. Poles traded up to the 213th pick and selected Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg, who could be the steal of the 2026 NFL draft.

The Bears already love Jordan van den Berg

You never want to get carried away when talking about sixth-round draft picks. They're available that late in the draft for a reason, and they rarely pan out. But the Bears' hype for Jordan van den Berg is through the roof, and it should be. According to van den Berg's coach at Georgia Tech, van den Berg is "the most polite person, but on then on the field, he will absolutely snatch your soul out of you".

Also, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler's reporting on all 32 teams' 2026 draft classes, the Bears believe van den Berg was a steal, and that they "have plans for him beyond that of a typical sixth-round flier". This makes sense when you consider the fact that they traded up to get him. For context, that was just the third time in five drafts that Ryan Poles ever traded up for a prospect.

Gervon Dexter has struggled with consistency

Drafted with the 53rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Gervon Dexter Sr. has been a polarizing player in Chicago. He struggled mightily as a rookie but improved slightly in 2024. In 2025, he recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks and 38 total pressures. But he hasn't yet become a true game-wrecker. A defensive tackle drafted as high as he was is generally expected to be an impact starter by Year 3, and he isn't at that level. Dexter's PFF grade of 57.7 for the 2025 season underscores how far he has to go.

This isn't to say that it's time to sound the alarm on Dexter. His 2026 season could very well be his best yet and earn him a hefty contract extension. But now he has competition behind him in Jordan van den Berg. As aforementioned, the coaches love van den Berg's potential, but Dexter wasn't one of their draft picks.

Van den Berg is going to get his shot in 2026, and you can bet he'll be hungry for more than just backup reps. If van den Berg is everything the Bears expect him to be, Dexter is in danger of not only hitting free agency without a contract extension, but he could even lose starting reps to the rookie.

The Bottom Line

Dexter's starting job is not in immediate danger. Barring a major injury, there's almost no chance that van den Berg shows enough in training camp to unseat Dexter. But the Bears are excited to see what the rookie can do. If he shows out in the limited reps he gets in the preseason and at the start of the season, a starting role is absolutely in the cards.

Luckily for Dexter, his future is entirely in his hands. Even if the rookie shows out, Dexter can fend him off by having the best season of his career. Having both Dexter and van den Berg prove to be worthy defensive tackles for the Bears would be the best possible outcome of training camp, and it could set the Bears up for major postseason success.

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