Bears Dance Around in Round 2

The Bears weren't content with sitting still Friday while seeking defensive help in the 2023 NFL Draft but before they traded up they took Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter at No. 53 overall in Round 2.

Dexter is tall for a three technique at 6-foot-6, and is 303. He lined up in the B gap between guard and tackle 959 times of his 1,407 defensive snaps according to Pro Football Focus. Rarely did he go outside the tackle or over the tackle.

He only played two years of high school football because he was using that good height to play basketball, instead.

"I was a basketball player up until then and I think just my will to maximize my potential is how I caught up in all those years that I didn't play (football) as well as my God-given (ability)," Dexter said. "So just a mix of those little things and my work ethic helped me get to this point as well."

He was playing on a highly competitive travel team with Toronto Raptors small forward Scottie Barnes on it.

"I would say like on the basketball court I was very aggressive so I was starting to foul out of a lot of games," Dexter said. "As well as my physical appearance just didn't kind of meet the requirements for a standard or power forward in the game of basketball.

"I gave football a try and it just came natural to me and I've just been going since."

Dexter is continuing to learn the game and thinks once he harnesses his skills he'll be more productive.

"I would say just get going, get down in the stance and get going, using that straight-line speed with my get-off, using my straight-line speed to close on the quarterback and create some negative plays for them. So all of those things could help, " he said.

The Bears have revamped the defensive line with DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green added as bigger edge players who can both stop the run and rush the passer. Walker also moves inside to three technique at times. They have Justin Jones at three technique, as well.

Then the Bears traded away their first pick of two in Round 4 and their 61st pick to swap spots and take Jacksonville's 56th pick, then selected Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.

Stevenson can play slot cornerback or outside. The Bears could replace Kindle Vildor in the starting lineup with Stevenson or move Stevenson to the slot and put Kyler Gordon at starting left cornerback.

Usually cornerbacks start out as outside cornerbacks and then move inside, but Stevenson did it the opposite way.

"It was rough at first, but me being a corner coming out of high school and having that confidence and still understanding football from the corner world, just getting that level of culpabaility, being able to move back out there," he said.

Gordon had his best games at season's end when he played most of the time on the outside.

Stevenson is big for a cornerback at 6-foot, 198 and at times played at the size of a safety, 214 pounds. He was originally a Georgia player and left after two years for Miami, playing 19 games with 47 tackles for the Bulldogs and then 22 games with 68 tackles for the Hurricanes. He had three total interceptions, all of them at Miami.

Stevenson ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting combine and posted a 38 1/2-inch vertical leap.

He doesn't care whether the Bears start him out in the slot or outside, or whether he's playing man or zone. With the Bears, it's likely to be zone.

"I have no problem with either," he said. "On the 30 visit, I kind of showed them that and stressed that to them as well. I have no problem playing off, I have no problem playing zone, I have no problem playing man.

"Whatever the defense needs me, I'm going to go out there and perfect my craft so I can be the best teammate and defender on the field at all times."

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