Chicago Bears Film Review: Gervon Dexter Sr. Pass Rush

The video breaks down five different aspects of Dexter's approach as a pass rusher:

1. Raw Power
2. Bull Rush
3. Cross Chop
4. Shoulder Punch
5. Pass Rush Combinations

The first thing I want to point out with Dexter is his raw strength because that is the baseline trait he uses to win in both pass rush and run defense reps. This powerful young man has a natural degree of violence in his game. That violence is an ideal trait along the defensive line. And with strength being his go-to trait, the bull rush is a logical place to start when looking at his pass rush moves.

The next move I looked at is one that Dexter has only recently added to his repertoire. I am calling it a "cross chop." It is still in its infancy, but you can see him working through the kinks of it and that it's improving as the season continues. We will look at it from its earliest stages and see how it has progressed week to week.

The cross-chop move is nice on occasion, especially as a change-up. But it does not highlight Dexter's best trait, which is strength. While the bull rush feeds into his best trait, it's nice to have another move that works with his abilities. And the "shoulder punch" move he has developed is just an abridged version of the cross chop. It follows a similar principle of getting to the blocker's soft edge before they can square their feet to match, but it is executed with force rather than quickness.

After that, I take a look at how Dexter has started to use these moves (and a few other wrinkles) together in combination. The ability to develop pass rush moves is the first step, but stacking them on top of each other as counters is the next step.

Overall, there is still a long way for Gervon Dexter to go as a pass rusher. Many of these moves are choppy, unnatural, or segmented. But that is nothing to be disappointed about! He was a raw prospect coming out of college with limited football experience, meaning that developing pass-rush moves would likely take time. To this point, Dexter has looked big and strong on the field. Additionally, he has shown growth as a pass rusher in his first five weeks. And that is a great sign for a young, raw football player with impressive athletic tools.

I believe that Dexter is showing an ability to take coaching and transfer out-of-game practice into on-the-field production. Given his strength, athletic profile, and development through five games, Dexter is a player I am excited to watch going forward.