 |
By Charlie Campbell
Weaknesses:
Summary: Dan Mullen did not work out at Florida for a few reasons, but the two most prevalent were poor recruiting and a weak defense that could not capitalize on the elite offense that carried the Gators to the SEC Championship in 2020 and lost a close shootout to Alabama. Florida’s defense had a severe lack of talent the past few seasons, but one exception to that was Dexter. The large defender flashed in 2020 with 19 tackles and an interception before breaking out in 2021 with 50 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a pass batted. In 2022, Dexter was similar as he recorded 55 tackles, two sacks, one pass breakup and an interception. Pro team sources said they felt Dexter’s tape was inconsistent and were disappointed overall.
In the ground game, Dexter can be an animal at the point of attack. There times when he absolutely manhandles offensive linemen, grabbing them and throwing them to the turf. Dexter is very strong, holding his ground at the point of attack and not getting pushed out of his gap. He uses his length to shed blocks and shows the quickness and athleticism to flow down the line to make tackles out of his gap. Helped by his size and athleticism, Dexter can run and chase down the line to provide a really tough run-defense presence. For the NFL, Dexter has the potential to be an asset as a run defender.
The weakness to Dexter’s game is pass rushing. Over the past two seasons, Dexter contributed to the pass rush somewhat by bulling blockers back to collapse the pocket, but he failed to shed those blocks and collect sacks. Dexter flashes some shocking twitch, quickness and athleticism, so the talent is there for him to do more. As a pro, Dexter needs to develop his hands and pass-rushing moves. If he can develop his pass-rush contribution, Dexter could be a valuable three-down starter in the NFL.
For a pros, Dexter has to grow far more consistent. He is a streaky player who flashed of big-time ability, but also frequently played down to competition. NFL sources raved about Dexter’s athletic upside and his potential, but his uneven tape and failure to play up to his ability really hurt his grades with teams.
Dexter could end up as a second-day pick or mid-rounder from the 2023 NFL Draft. He should work out well before the draft, given his skill set. However, his interviews could be problematic when teams push him on the lack of impressive tape and inconsistent play. If Dexter gets more consistent and plays up to his talent at the next level, he could turn out to be a mid-round or Day 2 steal.
Player Comparison: Carl Davis. Dexter reminds me of Davis coming out of Iowa. Each flashed a great skill set, but was inconsistent and did not play up to his ability. Davis was a third-round pick in 2015, and Dexter could go in that range this year during the 2023 NFL Draft.
RELATED LINKS:
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s
2023 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
2024 NFL Mock Draft - April 16
NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22
Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19
NFL Picks - Feb. 12
