The Chicago Bears made a big splash when they signed veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett during free agency. Jarrett’s level of talent and experience in the league should not only help the production of the Bears defensive unit, but he’ll also serve as a great mentor for his younger teammates.

That includes third-year defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr., who has the potential to thrive alongside Jarrett and benefit from his mentorship. Back in minicamp, Dexter spoke about Jarrett’s style of play, how long he watched the veteran before he arrived in Chicago, and the praise he received from Jarrett.

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Upon arriving in Chicago, Jarrett said that Dexter has a very high ceiling, and Dexter had the perfect response.

“Now it’s time to put it together,” Dexter said. “That’s what it means to me. I appreciate those guys (the defensive line) helping me get to a point where I want to be. But yeah, it’s time to put it together now.”

Coming off a season in which he totaled five sacks at the defensive tackle spot, Dexter discussed Jarrett’s pass-rushing style and how the veteran’s effort is what stood out to him the most.

“With Grady, his effort is the number one thing,” Dexter said. “The way he finishes, the way he flies around and gets to the quarterback. But he has a lot of moves in his toolbox that, like you said, some D-Tackles kind of like just go straight to power, or they do this… but with Grady he does both. So he has a variety of different things that he can do.”

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Taking notes and lessons from watching Jarrett, Dexter revealed he’s been watching the veteran for a long time, just as he watched Montez Sweat, who was acquired by Chicago in a mid-season trade in 2023.

“I knew a lot about Grady. Grady is one of those guys as well as Montez,” Dexter said. “It’s crazy that I am playing with both of them now. Two of those guys that I watched in middle school and high school. I watched a lot of defensive linemen and I would like turn on the TV, turn on some of those type of guys tape before high school games and stuff like that. So I knew a lot about Grady.”

A true student of the game and his teammates, Dexter has plenty of resources available to him as he looks to take his career to the next level. Whether it’s learning from his new coaches, including defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett, or veterans like Sweat and Jarrett, Dexter could have a breakout season ahead of him.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears’ Gervon Dexter on what he’s learned from veteran Grady Jarrett