The Chicago Bears drafted former Florida defensive tackle [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. with the 53rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft Friday night.
Dexter was an expected Day 2 selection but coming off the board in the second round ahead of guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence [/autotag]isn’t something draft experts were projecting. It’s hardly surprising to see him drafted so high, though, given his natural physical gifts.
The 6-foot-6-inch, 312-pounder signed with the Gators as a five-star recruit and the No. 12 overall player in the class of 2020. He made an immediate impact on the defensive line and only got better over his three years with the program.
Got ourselves a Gator đ
Welcome to the squad, @GervonDexter! pic.twitter.com/b3mtLJ1iD1
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 29, 2023
There were those who believed Dexter needed another year in college to unlock his full potential, but it’s clear that NFL teams are high enough him already to validate the decision to leave.
Dexter finished his three-year Gators career with 125 total tackles (46 solo), 9.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries. Numbers rarely tell the full story with defensive tackles, though. Dexter was a disruptive presence against some of the SEC’s best.
[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=5948]
[mm-video type=video id=01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4/01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4-2346b84476bb420195db0f813431176e.jpg]
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.