The Chicago Bears made some truly bold decisions on defense this offseason. It started with letting Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson leave in free agency. That was their top three safeties from last season. They also cut Tremaine Edmunds at linebacker and then, perhaps most shocking of all, traded Gervon Dexter, who was second on the team with 6 sacks. Competitive teams don’t do that unless the cap leaves them no choice or they feel they have some younger options ready to step in. For the Bears, it’s a little of column A and a little of column B. In the latter category, Jordan Van Den Berg is the hot name.
Nobody knew him when the Bears selected him in the 6th round last April. All they understood was he’s a defensive tackle from Georgia Tech who tested off the charts in athletic drills. Maybe he’d make an interesting project. Not a single person expected the rookie to play so well in training camp and the preseason that he’d already be working with the starters. Yet even this doesn’t illustrate how excited the Bears are about him. They believe he will have an impact right away, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
“The Bears have been very excited about sixth-round defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg since the predraft process, as if he were their secret player that the rest of the league hadn’t yet discovered. Expect him to affect Chicago’s defensive front.”
Jordan Van Den Berg is an ultra-rare case.
It’d be one thing if he were 1st round pick. Unloading established veterans for high draft choices is common practice in the NFL. Go with the younger, healthier, and cheaper option over the aging, expensive vet. To unload a former 2nd round pick who is still just 24 years old and was productive last season? That is the equivalent of seeing a double rainbow on a sunny day. It just doesn’t happen. Yet, from the way things sound, Van Den Berg has looked that good throughout the summer.
No player, offense or defense, who was drafted that low has caused that kind of cascade effect so quickly for the Bears. Jordan Van Den Berg backed it up on the field, too. Despite not registering a sack, his impact on the game was hard to miss. Opponents struggled to keep him out of the backfield, and his presence helped teammates make big plays. It probably helps that the Bears seem to have gotten positive results from other additions like Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, James Lynch, and fellow rookie Jayden Loving. Yet Van Den Berg stood out above them all.
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The rookie is in for a test.
Carolina worked hard this offseason to bolster their interior offensive line. They signed center Luke Fortner away from New Orleans, where he allowed just 11 pressures in 2025. Guard Robert Hunt returns from a season-ending injury after making the Pro Bowl in 2024. Then you have Damien Lewis coming off his best season, allowing 17 pressures. It’s a trio that looks formidable on paper. The Bears will need somebody to break up their rhythm. Van Den Berg certainly has the power, explosiveness, and motor to do it.
His biggest obstacle is discipline. Top defensive tackles aren’t just the talented ones. They’re the guys with the technique and fundamentals to beat blockers with their hands. That was something Van Den Berg struggled with in college. It’s no surprise. Most young players do. Working with Grady Jarrett this offseason has had a significant impact on his progress. If he brings everything together on Sunday, the predictions are right. He’ll make something happen.
