Jordan van den Berg has Chicago Bears Veteran's Attention Amid Recent Surge

A Chicago Bears veteran defensive lineman heaped praise on Jordan van den Berg for what he's showing at training camp.

Former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

If there's one Chicago Bears rookie we can definitely say is ascending at training camp, it's Jordan van den Berg.

The sixth-round pick had been having a quiet offseason overall, but he has come on very strong during training camp, and so much so that he is now seeing first-team reps.

While a lot has been made about van den Berg's elite athleticism, he has also shown he is a man-mover and has the right level of feistiness when battling it out at practice.

The surge van den Berg has seen has no doubt caught the eye of veteran defensive lineman Neville Gallimore, who is very high on the Georgia Tech product ahead of his first season.

“I think he’s gonna be a hell of a football player,” Gallimore said. “I think he’s growing. His understanding of the game is improving every day. I just love his competitiveness. Great guy for the locker room. He does his job at a high level and, again, I think he’s only going to get better as he continues to be a part of the system. 

“I’ll say, man, the greatest thing that ever happened to him was coming to this team and being a part of this defense. I think he’s going to be a guy that surprises a lot of people this year.”

The ascension the Bears are seeing out of van den Berg is great news for the defense, which has plenty of concerns on the inside.

The Bears finished with the sixth-worst run defense and were tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in the NFL last season. Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter and even Gallimore, who was with the Indianapolis Colts, struggled against the run last season. Dexter was the only Bears interior defender to post more than 1.5 sacks, also.

It goes without saying that expectations need to be tempered with the rookie in Year 1, but van den Berg did show in college that he can at least be an impact run defender.

According to Pro Football Focus, van den Berg posted a solid 79.5 run defense grade in 2025. He also showed improvement as a pass-rusher after posting career-bests in pressures (29) and sacks (three).

When it comes to how much playing time he could receive, van den Berg will likely be no higher than No. 4 on the depth chart behind Dexter, Jarrett and Gallimore.

But if he can stand out as a pass-rusher, run defender, or both, the Bears are going to find a way to get him on the field in 2026.