For most of the 2026 NFL draft, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles operated on the same game plan as he has for most of his tenure. He either stays put at his original spot or moves down. Over the previous four drafts, Poles had moved up only once for a player. That was in the 2nd round for Tyrique Stevenson in 2023. Since then, it has been sticking to the same formula. However, things took an unexpected turn towards the end of the festivities on day three last week. Poles packaged both of his picks in the 7th round to Buffalo in exchange for their 6th round pick. This enables the Bears to grab Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan Van Den Berg.
National scout Brendan Rehor admitted that the pick was largely driven by the Bears’ coaching staff. They zeroed in on him weeks before the draft and practically begged Poles to get him.
“Our coaches have been pounding the table for this kid for a long time, really the last two weeks. We kind of have a process where we will give the coaches a stack of guys in this Day 3 range and this kid’s name kept coming up pretty consistently. It’s basically a DNA match with what our coaches want and then also a high character kid from what our scouts gathered.”
Was this an overreaction to the team not being able to land a defensive lineman earlier in the draft? No. Based on other talent evaluators around the league, Van Den Berg has a lot of fans. One of them said as much to Bob McGinn of Go Long two months before the draft.
“Keep an eye on him,” one evaluator said in February referring to van den Berg. “He’s the sleeper of the defensive-line group. Highly productive. He’ll be one of those rotating guys.”
The path Jordan Van Den Berg took isn’t totally uncommon.
Part of the reason he fell to the 6th round was that he spent his first three seasons at Penn State as a backup. Recognizing the need for a change, he transferred to Georgia Tech. After a decent 2024 season, he finally broke through with three sacks, 11 tackles for a loss, and 29 pressures. He isn’t the first such player to follow this sort of path. Derrick Harmon failed to find a footing in three years at Michigan State. He transferred to Oregon, where he had a breakout season and eventually became a 1st-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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The same was true for Shelby Harris. He was invisible in Wisconsin, so he gambled on moving to Illinois State. A productive couple of seasons there enabled him to become a 7th round pick. He just completed his 11th season in the league. Jordan Van Den Berg is a self-motivated young man. Most people wouldn’t have dared leave a football factory like Penn State. His courage to do so and ability to make it work are part of why he is such an intriguing prospect. One person not surprised by this is his head coach, Brent Key. People don’t grasp how competitive the defensive tackle is.
Not until it’s too late.
There is a big opportunity in front of Van Den Berg.
Right now, the defensive tackle depth chart looks pretty crowded. The Bears already had Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett established as starters. Then, in free agency, they added Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, and James Lynch. That means the rookie has a lot of experienced players to wade through if he wants to make the roster. The good news is that he already has the coaching staff’s admiration. They feel he has lots to offer this team. If he can put in the work and take it to the field in training camp, the door will be open.
He certainly offers them something most others can’t. His interior pass rush potential is immense. There were several flashes of it last season. Jarrett isn’t that type of player anymore. Dexter had six sacks last year but has never been a consistent threat. The Bears have been searching for somebody who can truly wreak havoc in the middle. Jordan Van Den Berg has the physical tools. His character and work ethic have never been questioned. Now he may finally get the coaching he needs.
