Bears Trade Up to Draft South African Defensive Tackle Jordan van den Berg

On April 25, 2026, the Chicago Bears traded both of their seventh-round selections (Nos. 239 and 241) to the Buffalo Bills to acquire the No. 213 overall pick. With that pick, the Bears selected Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg, ending their 2026 draft without further picks.

Audacy NewsSports IllustratedUSA TodayChicago Bears Draft DT Jordan van den Berg at No. 213: Instant Grade and Analysis247SportsBears finally address major need with DL prospect who has one glaring flawGrading The Trade: Bears speed up their last pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, trading up to select freak athlete on the defensive lineChicago Bears Trade Up to Select Defensive Lineman Jordan van den BergChicago Sun-Times

Chicago entered the draft with a defensive line anchored by interior starters Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter and veterans such as Neville Gallimore. The unit ranked sixth-worst against the run in the 2025 season, prompting the front office to seek a run-stopper. General manager Ryan Poles previously expressed confidence in the development of younger linemen Shemar Turner and Dayo Odeyingbo, indicating that the Bears felt comfortable addressing interior depth rather than edge rush in this draft.

Bears finally address major need with DL prospect who has one glaring flaw

Van den Berg, a Johannesburg native who moved to the United States at age 10, began at Iowa Western Community College, spent three seasons as a backup at Penn State, and transferred to Georgia Tech in 2024. In 2025 he earned First-Team All-ACC honors, recording 44 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and three sacks, and posted a 79.5 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus. His pro-day metrics were extraordinary: a perfect 10.00 Relative Athletic Score, a 4.94-second 40-yard dash, a 36-inch vertical, a 4.19-second short-shuttle, and 35 reps of 225 lb on the bench press.

Chicago Bears Trade Up to Select Defensive Lineman Jordan van den Berg

Poles highlighted the trade as a strategic move to add depth: he noted the Bears “feel good about” the existing interior group and saw “developmental upside” in adding a player with van den Berg’s athletic profile. The organization framed the selection as a situational addition to improve run defense while maintaining confidence in the current roster.

USA Today

Analysts cautioned that van den Berg is a development project whose production “looks a little light on paper.” Concerns focus on his below-average length and limited pass-rush record, suggesting the pick does not address the Bears’ pressing need for edge pressure. The trade also cost the team two seventh-round picks, a point of critique given the depth of the draft class at other positions.

247Sports

• “At the defensive line position, Book’s coming along with Dayo, Sweat, Shemar. We feel good about those guys,” – Ryan Poles.

Grading The Trade: Bears speed up their last pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, trading up to select freak athlete on the defensive line

• “The career production looks a little light on paper, but van den Berg appears to possess translatable traits that could entice a team with a one-gapping defensive front to draft him on Day 3.” – Lance Zierlein.

247Sports

• “Jordan van den Berg began to hit his stride at Georgia Tech in 2024 after three quiet years as a backup at Penn State,” – Lance Zierlein.

Sports Illustrated

Sources uniformly list van den Berg as a First-Team All-ACC honoree, yet one outlet also cites an “honorable-mention All-American” designation, reflecting differing secondary accolades. Additionally, reported pressure totals vary (29 pressures vs. three sacks), indicating a lack of consensus on his pass-rush impact.

GT's Jordan van den Berg picked in 6th round of Draft by the Bears

With the draft concluded, Chicago will evaluate van den Berg during rookie minicamp and training camp, competing for rotational snaps behind Jarrett, Dexter, and Gallimore. The Bears’ next roster moves will focus on undrafted free agents and potential trades to further bolster the edge-rush corps, addressing the gap highlighted by analysts.

247Sports