Jordan Van Den Berg was a complete mystery to Chicago Bears fans when the team drafted him in the 6th round this past April. All they understood at the time was that he was a defensive tackle from Georgia Tech who had one year of solid production. He was 24 years old and a South African native. He certainly wasn’t the big swing along the defensive line that people had been hoping for. However, rumblings soon surfaced that Van Den Berg had several fans inside Halas Hall. One of them was head coach Ben Johnson.
While he may not be a defensive guy by trade, one thing that has become apparent with Johnson is that he has a pretty good eye for talent. He was the driving force behind drafting Colston Loveland and Luther Burden last year and a strong advocate for Dillon Thieneman this year. It seems his voice was heard on Van Den Berg as well. If you don’t believe it, look at his quote from Tuesday about the rookie.
“He’s a beast. I mean this guy, he’s an incredible athlete and he’s still learning the game of football to a degree and yet it’s amazing what he brings to the table. He’s been the same guy every single day, smile on his face. He loves football, he loves the process. I haven’t seen it yet but someone told me he was miked up in that first game and he’s coming to the sideline, he’s talking to Grady about the things that are happening on the field and Grady’s helping, giving him some tidbits here and there and it’s a good thing to see right now. He’s firmly in the mix.”
Johnson doesn’t gush about everybody like that. In fact, he rarely does it at all. When he does, it is usually a sign that said player will be good. Just look at what he said about Kyle Monangai last year.
“Kyle Monangai, I mean, Holy cow! For a rookie, you would have no idea. Not only is he a hard runner, willing to lower his shoulder, tough to bring down; but like this guy can do it all. He can catch the ball out of the backfield, excellent in pass protection – got a trust level with him that’s above and beyond.”
Jordan Van Den Berg has the same feel as Monangai.
He might come from a less celebrated background, but the guy screams “football player” when you watch him. Monangai overcame his lack of athleticism and speed with grit, toughness, intelligence, and power. Van Den Berg is even more dangerous. He has those same qualities and he’s an elite athlete. The only thing holding him back is polish. Several technical parts of his game need refinement. That is probably why Coach Johnson looks so tickled. He knows that is something his staff can easily get fixed.
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You’re already seeing early results. Jordan Van Den Berg has 5 pressures on the quarterback between his two preseason appearances. He also showed improvement at holding the point of attack against the run. It is clear that the coaches and veteran teammate Grady Jarrett have done an excellent job schooling him on the fundamentals. Once those become ingrained in his head, the talent will take care of the rest. You recently heard about the trade buzz surrounding Gervon Dexter?
No way happens unless the Bears are sure they have something with Van Den Berg.
People must understand what’s happening here.
It is too early to declare the young man a true success. He’ll actually have to produce on the field for that to happen. If it does? Bears fans must realize how rare this is. Finding late-round gems at running back, wide receiver, or cornerback is much easier. Those positions tend to always be deep in college and can fall through the cracks. That is not the case for defensive linemen. Given its importance, NFL teams put extra effort into finding the good ones and selecting them earlier in the draft.
Here’s a stat for you. Only one defensive tackle drafted in the 6th round or later since 2000 has made the Pro Bowl. That was 7th round pick Jay Ratliff with the Dallas Cowboys. It just doesn’t happen. Van Den Berg absolutely has the talent to break that drought. By all accounts, he also has the intensity, effort, and work ethic. The Bears merely have to give him the opportunity. Considering the fact he is already working with the starting defense, that won’t be a problem.
