The Chicago Bears are expected to be better in 2024. But how much better? That remains the million-dollar question.
The offense should be more dynamic than in recent seasons, and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams will get most of the attention directed the Bears' way on a national level. But the defense is just as intriguing.
Chicago has quietly built a very young, very talented defensive group that could spark the Bears to a potential playoff berth in 2024. But that defense isn't without question marks, and a top football analyst highlighted one of those question marks in a recent article.
On Friday, ESPN's Ben Solak named the top "X-factor" on the roster for each NFL team. For the Bears, he chose Gervon Dexter, who is replacing Justin Jones, now an Arizona Cardinal, on the defensive interior.
"This is a big vote of faith in Dexter, who was very up-and-down as a rookie and only started to string together semi-consistent play late in the season," Solak said. "It's very important that the Bears' defense has a pass rusher from the interior -- they're a consistent four-down team without many blitz packages or changeups along the defensive line -- and starter Andrew Billings has traditionally been a run-defending nose tackle."
Dexter, 22, played in all 17 games for the Bears in 2023, but saw just 40% of the defensive snap share. He had 17 pressures, nine knockdowns, and 2 1/2 sacks when rushing the quarterback last season.
Drafted 53rd overall in 2023 out of Florida, it's clear the Bears have high hopes for Dexter to be a key contributor on their defense for the foreseeable future.
Installing Dexter as the clear-cut starter from day one isn't a guarantee of a productive season, but it's nice for the sophomore to know he has his team's trust. If he repays that trust with some big plays in 2024, there's no telling how far he could elevate this Chicago defense.
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