The Atlanta Falcons have too much offensive talent and too strong a linebacker group and secondary to let a poor defensive front derail things during the 2026 NFL season. So, Ian Cunningham did not sit on his hands hours before roster cutdowns were finalized on Sunday afternoon.
Instead, he called his old friends with the Chicago Bears and struck a deal for fourth-year defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr., who was a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft when Cunningham was the assistant general manager there. And this savvy deal instantly makes the Falcons better.
Dexter Sr. isn't necessarily a game-changing player on the interior, but he has produced at the NFL level and has immense upside to tap into. Jeff Ulbrich and Co. could certainly help him get there. Let's dive into the trade details and what this could mean for the Atlanta defense heading into the year.
Falcons' trade for Gervon Dexter Sr. majorly improves the DL in Atlanta
Simply put, Dexter Sr. is already the Falcons' best player on the interior defensive line. At 6-foot-6 and 312 pounds, he can play both the nose and 3-tech, but Dexter Sr. also has the ability to slide out to the 4- or 5-tech, and even line up as an outside linebacker of sorts on occasion.
That versatility could help an Atlanta defensive line that has been decimated by Jalon Walker's injury and James Pearce Jr.'s suspension. Losing those two players, especially their pass-rush abilities, was brutal for the Falcons. Dexter Sr. can plug some of those holes.
Although a below-average run defender, Dexter Sr. is quite adept at getting after the quarterback for an interior player. In three seasons, he has mustered 13.5 sacks and 106 pressures. 11.0 of those sacks were in the last two years, so he's really put it together since his rookie season.
No, he's not a particularly skilled run defender, but his size alone helps him make plays, as Dexter Sr. has recorded 57 run stops in three seasons. He has played nearly two-thirds of the defensive snaps in Chicago over the last two years, so he is a high-volume and highly productive player.
To be candid, his 15 missed tackles in three seasons (12.9% missed tackle rate) is a bit frightening. And he missed 20.0% of his attempts in 2025, which was a career high, so it's not like Dexter Sr. has necessarily improved in this facet yet.
All it cost Atlanta, however, is cornerback Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round pick. That's not a major price to pay for an upgrade on the defensive interior and a significant pass-rush boost. Plus, Dexter Sr. is only 24 years old (he'll be 25 in October), so he could be around a while.
Now, Dexter Sr. is in the final year of his rookie deal, so if the Falcons don't ink him to a long-term extension, then this effectively becomes a one-year rental. If it is, then that changes how Atlanta fans will view this deal and the price that Cunningham paid.
In the meantime, though, this looks like a much-needed move for a Falcons defensive line in need of help.
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