New York Giants Draft Prospect Profile: IDL Gervon Dexter Sr.

Nick has another look at a potential value interior defensive lineman.

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Apr 25, 2023 12:00 PM EDT

In this story:

New York Giants

Florida Gators

Gervon Dexter Sr., IDL

Height: 6-foot-5½
Weight: 310 lbs.
Class: Junior
School: Florida
Age: 21 (born 10/5/2001)

Combine Measurements

Arm length: 32 ¼”
Wingspan: 80 ⅞”
Hand size: 9 ½”
40-yard-dash: 4:88
10-yard-split: 1.70
Vertical jump: 31”
Broad jump: 9’2”
Short-shuttle: 4.70
Three cone: 7.50
Bench press: 22

A former five-star recruit out of Lake Wales High School in Lake Wales, Florida, where he was the third defensive tackle prospect and the first Floridian recruit in the 2020 cycle. He was ranked 217th all-time in 247 Sport’s database. He was ranked one defensive line slot over Georgia’s Jalen Carter. Bryan Breese (Clemson) was ranked over him.

Dexter played football as a child but stopped to focus on basketball for the majority of his life; he returned to football in his junior year of high school. As a senior, he recorded 103 tackles, 35 for a loss, 18 sacks, and seven forced fumbles. Dexter Sr. also lettered in track.

Notables

Dexter was talented enough at basketball that he received offers from Virginia and Syracuse, but scholarships poured in after returning to football during his junior high school season. Dan Mullen’s staff recruited Dexter before it was let go in 2021; a few months before enrolling at Florida, Dexter’s father passed away. Despite the tribulations, he found the field as a true freshman. [STATS]

According to Pro Football Focus, he finished his collegiate career with 53 pressures and 61 stops. He reportedly assumed a leadership role as a 20-year-old. Dexter never missed a game throughout his collegiate career. He played in all 38 games with 24 starts. Dexter Sr. did forgo his final year of eligibility and entered the draft. He ran the fifth-fastest forty-yard dash among the defensive linemen at the event.

Get More 2023 Draft Profiles here.

Strengths

Great build and frame - thick extremities and broad shoulders
Excellent athlete with excellent straight-line speed
A very balanced player with good agility and change of direction
Solid explosiveness off the snap (when he diagnoses that it happens)
Excellent run defender when he isn’t late, and he stays low
Loved his run defense tape against Tennessee and Utah
Uses every inch of his arms to lock IOL out
Wins the cat & mouse game vs. RBs - controls the block
Discards blocks and separates well -- strong hands
Athletic ability and power suggest he’ll figure out how to convert speed to power once he’s more developed as a pass rusher
Quick upper body movements with excellent power to shed

Lifted Tennessee's Darnell Wright off the ground temporarily (Q1, 2:01, 2nd & 5)

Showed ability to absorb double teams
Solid ability to split double teams
Flashes are very bright

Weaknesses

Allows his pad level to rise a bit
Startlingly poor snap recognition
Driven back vs. double teams when he pops out of stance
Overall consistency was an issue
Unrefined pass rasher - doesn’t have a plan or many moves
Frustrating missed tackles at the line of scrimmage
Not a lot of production for someone of his talent
Still raw

Summary

Dexter can do a better job consistently using his length to his advantage. When he does that on tape, things tend to work out for him. He’s not a refined pass-rusher, nor does he string moves together, but he’s quick and strong, and he has good agility to slip around blockers. With the proper development, there’s quality pass-rushing upside.

When everything is clicking for Dexter, the click is loud. His good tape is very good, and the proper development from a coach like Andre Patterson should unlock his immense upside.

There are few players with his size, coordination, athletic traits, and ability to absorb double teams while anchoring in place (when he keeps his hat low and isn’t late). Dexter Sr. can play in a one or two-gap defense as a 3- or 5-technique; there are raw elements to his game, but his potential is obvious.

GRADE: 6.25