For the fourth straight day, the Bears conducted a non-contact training camp practice Tuesday at Halas Hall. The workout was closed to the public but open to select community groups. Here's what transpired:

Sporting a leaner and stronger physique, second-year defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. continues to stand out on the practice field.

After a promising rookie season, the 6-6, 312-pounder followed a strict offseason regimen that included running on hills, doing Pilates and changing his eating habits. As a result, he reduced his body fat and added lean muscle mass.

Dexter was motivated to transform his body because the 2023 second-round pick from Florida aspires to consistently perform at an elite level.

"I just tried to get in marathon shape," Dexter said. "I've noticed that the good ones can do it one or two plays, but the ones that go down as great ones are consistent in being able to play [the first] through the fourth quarter."

Asked about the most difficult thing to eliminate from his diet, Dexter said: "I would say that late-night snack. [Previously] I was just like, 'Man, one honey bun won't hurt me.' [But] I cut that out and now I feel a lot better."

Dexter's increased strength and quickness has been evident on the practice field. He's made his presence felt inside, batting down passes in two of the first three workouts.

"It's a lot different," he said. "Being leaner helps me get off the ball faster. Being leaner helps me penetrate faster. A lot of those things, like the three-technique role, I can do a little easier because my body is allowing me to do it."

Defensive coordinator Eric Washington lauded Dexter for being so committed to transforming his body.

"It speaks to his level of discipline, his desire to be a starter and a highly productive starter," Washington said. "To go away and to stay away and to be really to his own devices and manage that part of the offseason in terms of what you consume, how you work, what type of investment you make, [I'm] really impressed with that, and it's paying off for him."

Washington also praised the 22-year-old for his focus.

"When Dexter comes on the practice field every day, when he comes into meetings, for a young player, he's got blinders on," Washington said. "He is really focused on himself, what he needs to do in that particular practice … The level of focus that he has as a second-year player is pretty uncommon."

Dexter's ability to lock in is due in part to replicating what he sees and hears from veteran teammate Montez Sweat.

"Having a guy like Montez in my room highlights that," Dexter said. "I get to see that in my room two chairs, three chairs next to me."

Dexter said he watches "everything [Sweat] does, coming in early, hot tub, cold tub, all of those little things that he does. If I see him doing something, I'm going to do the same thing because he's having the success that I want."

Dexter is also more comfortable in the defense because he's entering his second season in the Bears' one-gap scheme after playing in a two-gap system at Florida.

"Words can't describe it," he said. "My body type, my style of play was a penetrator, disruptor, and I was in a defense that I couldn't do that. I kind of had chains on. Now they're off."

Gut check time

Dexter isn't the only Bears player in excellent shape. In fact, when Washington was asked what's impressed him most about the defense so far through four training camp practices, he said: "The conditioning level of the guys."

"They did a tremendous job, along with our strength and conditioning staff, of getting themselves ready to practice during training camp," Washington said. "That's no small feat because we have to endure reps and the quick turnaround, and so the conditioning has been outstanding. Credit to the players and credit to their investment. And now you can see that in the form of their effort. I mean we're running to the ball, especially on the back side, and [I'm] just really impressed with that."

That conditioning and effort was evident Tuesday when the No. 1 defense kept the offense out of the end zone on three plays from the 6 to cap a two-minute drill.

"It's gut check," Washington said. "And listen, you can be in great shape in terms of preparing for training camp, but once you get out on the football field and you're going through individual periods, you're going through special teams for those who are involved in that and you're actually practicing scrimmage plays, that's a different level of conditioning. You're going to see guys in great shape get tired competing and playing pro football. They have to dig down deep. They've done that. The communication has to be there. You can't give in or yield to that, because it's a critical situation. We've got to find a way to close out the game."

One day at camp

The offensive highlight of Tuesday's practice was a completion down the left sideline from Caleb Williams to second-year receiver Tyler Scott in an 11-on-11 drill.

Williams continued to make quick throws and quick decisions, especially when finding secondary receivers. He opened one 7-on-7 drill by completing all six of his passes, two to receiver Rome Odunze and one each to receivers DJ Moore and Collin Johnson and tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett.

In the aforementioned two-minute drill, Williams put the offense in position to score with five short completions and a 16-yard scramble.

Receiver Keenan Allen and tight end Marcedes Lewis were given veteran days off Tuesday. The two have combined to play in 407 NFL games over 29 seasons and catch 1,340 passes for 15,643 yards and 99 touchdowns.

Up next

Players are off Wednesday and will return for a fifth non-contact practice Thursday. The first padded workout will follow on Friday.