Gervon Dexter knows who he wants the Chicago Bears to select in the 2025 NFL Draft

The Chicago Bears need to bolster the trenches with their first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Gervon Dexter knows who he'd like his future teammate to be.
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The Chicago Bears will pick tenth overall in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, and there's already a general consensus on which position group GM Ryan Poles should target: it begins and ends in the trenches.

The last time Poles spent a first-round pick on an offensive or defensive lineman was in 2023 when he selected OT Darnell Wright at tenth overall, and Wright has been excellent.

But while most draft analysts agree on the position groups the Bears should target, there's varying opinions on who exactly should be their selection. Names like Will Campbell and Kelvin Banks Jr. are popular on the offensive side, while others are excited about the possibility of trading up for a stud pass rusher like Abdul Carter.

But if you ask Bears defensive lineman Gervon Dexter Sr. who he thinks the Bears should target in the 2025 draft, he'll give you a different answer: Ole Miss defensive end Princely Unmanmielen.

Unmanmielen and Dexter were teammates for three years in college with the Florida Gators. After Dexter declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, Umanmielen stuck around for one more season, then transferred to Ole Miss. He had a career year with the Rebels, amassing 11 sacks and 37 total tackles.

Umanmielen is a good prospect, but a reach at 10th overall.

It makes sense for Dexter to publicly support Umanmielen like this. The two were former teammates and presumably good friends. And Umanmielen is a good player who should have a fine NFL career wherever he ends up.

But tenth overall is a little rich for a prospect who may be a situational pass rusher only. On most big boards, Umanmielen is ranked in the late 30s. He'd be a fine target for the Bears in the second round, but Chicago needs a high-impact every-down player in Round 1.

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.