Jordan Van Den Berg has been the talk of Chicago Bears training camp, going from third-string rookie to running with the starters in just two weeks. The 6th round pick carried that over to the preseason opener, where he had three quarterback pressures in limited playing time. However, it sounds like he isn’t the only rookie defensive tackle making noise at Halas Hall. Many forget the Bears also added Wake Forest’s Jayden Loving as an undrafted free agent shortly after the draft. His final season saw him collect 2.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for a loss. Scouts saw quickness, explosion, and understated power.
It seems that has carried over into training camp. Loving has been winning his share of drills lately. He gave 2nd round pick Logan Jones all he could handle in 1-on-1s during Tuesday’s practice, resulting in the center taking a swing at him. This comes after an overlooked performance against Cleveland last weekend. Loving delivered a pressure that led to an interception and also batted down another pass. For someone who only got 17 reps, that was pretty solid work.
Jayden Loving continues a trend of solid undrafted work.
While the Bears haven’t scored any outright stars on the college free agent market, they’ve done a consistently good job at identifying players who can contribute at a high level. Jack Sanborn became a starter at linebacker in 2022. Tyson Bagent has emerged as one of the NFL’s top backup quarterbacks. Josh Blackwell is a special teams ace. Theo Benedet started multiple games at left tackle last season, and Jahdae Walker made one of the pivotal touchdown catches. This is why it’s important to pay attention when undrafted rookies start to stand out.
Jayden Loving follows a blueprint the Bears laid out before the offseason began. They wanted to get quicker and more explosive up the middle. Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett couldn’t offer that. It is why they signed Neville Gallimore in free agency and drafted Van Den Berg. Loving was one last attempt to give the position as many options as possible. Let training camp sort it out. The rookie isn’t backing down from the competition. Chicago’s depth is significantly better than last season.
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Loving faces a tough situation.
The Bears carried four defensive tackles on the main roster last season. With Dexter and Jarrett assured spots, it comes down to Loving, Van Den Berg, Gallimore, and James Lynch competing for the final two. Given where things stand, Van Den Berg isn’t going anywhere. That leaves one remaining. Would the Bears be willing to gamble on having two rookies as backups? Probably not. So, unless they decide to carry five defensive tackles this year, it is a safe assumption that Gallimore or Lynch gets that spot.
Now, Loving still has time to state his case. Two preseason games remain, as do two joint practices. If he keeps making noise over the next two weeks, the Bears may have no choice but to find room for him. At worst, he is a shoo-in for the practice squad after final cuts. Chicago will keep him around to develop and likely have opportunities to call him up to the main roster if they need another body.
