Jordan van den Berg, Bears' 6th Round Pick, Isn't Just An Elite Athlete, He's a Historic Athlete

With the No. 213 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg out of Georgia Tech, after he tested athletically off-the-charts this offseason.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

With the No. 213 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected Georgia Tech defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg.

With this pick, the Bears are now done with the 2026 NFL Draft, as they traded both of their seventh-round picks to move up into the sixth round for the Buffalo Bills' pick.

With their final pick, the Bears once again address their defense, which has been the theme of Day 3 after making two other defensive picks on Saturday.

Here's more information on the Georgia Tech product.

Why Bears drafted Jordan van den Berg

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The 6-foot-3, 310-pound defensive lineman posted impressive numbers for the Yellow Jackets last season, with 11 tackles for loss and three sacks.

He particularly shined against the run, posting a 79.5 run defense grade last season, per Pro Football Focus. That will definitely come in handy for a Bears defense that had the sixth-worst run defense in the NFL last season.

What's more intriguing is the athleticism he brings to the table. The Georgia Tech product had a perfect 10 Relative Athletic Score, according to Kent Lee Platte, which is ridiculous for a defensive lineman his size.

van der Berg wasn't invited to the NFL scouting combine in February, but at his pro day, he strongly suggested he should have been. Along with a 4.19 short-shuttle, which was almost a half-second faster than any other defensive tackle at the Combine. He benched 225 pounds 35 times, something he said he was disappointed with after the event. Topping it off, he clocked a 4.94 40-yard dash, and a 36-inch vertical jump after weighing in at 310 pounds.

How much of this means he's a great football player? None of it. But he's a player on the rise in terms of ability. Here's more from Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:

"Jordan van den Berg began to hit his stride at Georgia Tech in 2024 after three quiet years as a backup at Penn State," Zierlein said. "Elite testing numbers at his pro day will send scouts back to the tape for further evaluation.

"He possesses disruptive first-step quickness and heavy hands to beat blocks. He carries average mass and below-average length. He needs to prove he can take on NFL blockers at the point of attack. 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."

It's hard to get excited about a sixth-round pick, but van den Berg is someone we're high on given his athleticism. He has a good chance to make the Bears' roster given their need for run defenders and athletic linemen.

Bears' list of 2026 NFL Draft Picks

Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

• Round 1, Pick 25: S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

• Round 2, Pick 57: C Logan Jones, Iowa

• Round 3, Pick 68 (via TEN): TE Sam Roush, Stanford

• Round 3, Pick 89: WR Zavion Thomas, LSU

• Round 4, Pick 124 (via CAR): CB Malik Muhammad, Texas

• Round 5, Pick 166 (via CAR): LB Keyshaun Elliott, Arizona St.

• Round 6, Pick 213 (via BUF): DL Jordan van den Berg, Georgia Tech

How to watch Day 3 of 2026 NFL Draft

Terry Bradshaw and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Day 3 (Rounds 4-7): Saturday, April 25, 11 a.m. CT on NFL Network, ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes (Spanish)

The NFL has institutued a new timing method for picks. This year, picks from Rounds 3-6 have just five minutes between them, and then the clock is shortened to four minutes in Round 7.