Montez Sweat says Bears' rising youngster is 'waiting to blow up' and it will make the defense elite if he does

Most people are waiting to see what Caleb Williams can do for the Chicago Bears and rightfully so. The kid has a shot to be what the team has never had: A true franchise quarterback.

But, when talking about the short-term, specifically the 2024 season, it's the Bears defense that could become the backbone that helps the team reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season.

The unit caught fire during the back half of the 2023 season, largely in part of the decision to acquire defensive end Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders. Sweat immediately boosted the Bears' pass rush, which is a must-have in Matt Eberflus' defense. The trickle-down effect led to a much more effective second level and secondary, as the defense hummed throughout November and December.

The thing about NFL defenses, however, is they can vary from year to year, no matter how good they were the previous season. There is a high variance level, so it's key that players continue to grow and develop.

Gervon Dexter Sr., a 2023 second-rounder, is one of those guys that can help the Bears defense not only continue its momentum from last year, but make it an elite unit. Dexter primarily plays the three-tech position, which is the "engine that makes the defense go", according to Eberflus.

Per Sweat, not only has Dexter shown up to training camp in tremendous shape, but the kid is on pace to have a huge year.

"He did the conditioning test with the damn d-ends, yesterday," Sweat told reporters Saturday. "When we was in the position meeting... they put a picture of him in a little beach suit, he had to shirt off and all that type of stuff. So, yeah, he definitely made a transformation with his body. But, I mean, always expected big things out of Gervon.

"He's just waiting to blow up."

Dexter showed plenty of flashes during his rookie year. He finished with the fourth-most quarterback hits (12) and 2.5 sacks, while playing 432 snaps on defense. That's solid production for a rookie in that context, so it's easy to see why people are talking about him at the onset of camp.

He's already making plays, too, it seems. Bears reporters mentioned Dexter breaking up a pass during two-minute drills (Williams actually caught ball and ran it down the sideline, per reports). Sweat didn't actually see the play, but he certainly believed it as the media asked him about it after Saturday's practice.

"I really didn't see, I just saw the ball going up in the air... It's helpful [to have] especially a guy like Gervon's size and honestly, a guy that moves with the type of ability that he can is definitely a nice tool to have beside me."

The Bears do have a question on the opposite side of Sweat when it comes to the defensive line. They've already said they're currently comfortable with what they have and they won't look at bringing anyone in from the outside, anytime soon. Dexter is a big part of the "waiting process", so to speak.

Chicago won't necessarily need some proven guy opposite Sweat if Dexter comes along. Sure, it'd be great to have. But having a guy on the inside that can take blocks off Sweat is just as valuable, if not more valuable, considering he's on the interior at 3T. That's the quickest path to the quarterback and the Bears will certainly take advantage of that, if it's a viable resource.

Just go ahead and add Dexter's development and progress to the already long list of things to be excited for when it comes to the Bears' 2024 season.