Falcons add defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. in trade with Bears
FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons’ depleted defensive front added a big piece Sunday morning — literally.
The Falcons acquired defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. in a trade with the Bears, sending fourth-year cornerback Clark Phillips III and a 2027 fifth-round pick to Chicago in return. Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham was the Bears’ assistant general manager when the team drafted Dexter in the second round in 2023.
Dexter, who stands 6-foot-6 and 326 pounds, is now the tallest and heaviest player on the Falcons’ defense. He carries an impressive pass-rushing background, posting six sacks last season and five the year before while starting all 32 of his regular season appearances over the last two seasons.
His six sacks would have been second among Falcons defensive tackles in 2025.
According to Pro Football Focus, Dexter’s 38 quarterback pressures last season ranked 19th among 134 defensive tackles. His run defense, however, earned a grade of 44, which put him 107th overall.
Dexter has recorded 115 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 13½ sacks and 42 quarterback hits in his career. The former Florida standout has proved durable, missing only two games thus far. Dexter started both of the Bears’ postseason games last season, and including the playoffs, he’s appeared in 51 games with 35 starts as a professional.
He is, however, currently dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him from traveling with the Bears during joint practices last week with the Titans.
The 24-year-old Dexter is entering the final season of his rookie contract. He joins a young nucleus of defensive tackles on the Falcons’ depth chart, as he, Brandon Dorlus (25) and Maason Smith (23) give the team a young, promising trio.
The Falcons needed pass-rush help after losing both of their 2025 first-round outside linebackers for significant periods of time. Jalon Walker won’t play this year after suffering a season-ending ACL injury in training camp, and James Pearce Jr. has been suspended eight games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Between Dexter and 33-year-old veteran outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith, a three-time Pro Bowler with 70½ career sacks, the Falcons have made a pair of splash acquisitions over the past two weeks.
To land Dexter, the Falcons parted ways with Phillips, who entered Sunday’s roster cut-down day on the bubble. Phillips played in only one game last season because of a triceps injury, but he worked with the second-team defense throughout training camp and appeared to be on the right side of the cut line.
Phillips was valued by teammates as a high-character individual and quality locker room presence. The Falcons have ample depth at cornerback, where they entered camp with eight players who spent at least three seasons on NFL rosters to go along with second-round rookie Avieon Terrell.
The Falcons also parted ways with a draft pick, something Cunningham usually tries to avoid doing. Of note, the Falcons are in line to get a fifth-round compensatory draft pick in 2027 for the free agency loss of linebacker Kaden Elliss in the spring, so while they’ll lose one bit of their war chest of picks, they’re still slated to make nine selections next year.