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One Bears DT Impressed Dennis Allen Even More Than Jordan van den Berg

Bears defensive tackles stood out during preseason in a total departure from expectations, and their defensive coodinator named the most pleasant surprise.
Gene Chamberlain|
Kentavius Street (93) closes in on a tackle against the Browns in preseason.
Kentavius Street (93) closes in on a tackle against the Browns in preseason. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Jordan van den Berg's name was on the tip of every Bears fan's tongue through the final two preseason games but his impact could be much less than imagined once the season begins.

It's not because the Bears think he lacks talent, but rather because they think there are other potentially productive players ahead of him on the depth chart, and also because what they'll ask him to do could lead to less production from a rookie.

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen on Wednesday named someone besides van den Berg as the most impressive defensive tackle of training camp. It was Kentavius Street, who is also a backup.

"Quite honestly, I think he was the most-productive tackle we had throughout the course of training camp," Allen said. "He's got the suddenness and the explosiveness off the ball that we're looking for to create penetration and disrupt the line of scrimmage."

Street had a bit of a head start in learning the scheme because he played in it in 2022 with the Saints, making 29 tackles that year including five for loss, with 3 1/2 sacks, over a full season as a backup.

"I think he's been productive throughout the course of training camp," Allen said. "You know, hopefully we'll be able to continue that."

If another backup is even more impressive, it stands to reason the reps for van den Berg could be fewer than some might expect based on his standout preseason play.

Allen called the line deep, and cited it as a reason they could make the Gervon Dexter trade. Remember what Ben Johnson himself called the most underrated part of the team.

"I think our interior defensive line is better than the outside world gives them credit for," he said. "And I know some guys might be rookies, they might be free agents that people don't know about as much, but the way they've gone about their business, I've been really impressed with.”

Nevertheless, the young players and their development will continue. It's not like the Bears will shelve van den Berg and undrafted rookie Jayden Loving now that preseason has ended.

"We had a group of defensive tackles that I all thought were capable of being on our 53-man roster," Allen said. "Every single one of them. And yet I think there’s a couple of young guys that we feel really good about trying to develop that I think could be the future of what we’re trying to do inside."

This includes Loving.

"We made a concerted effort this offseason that the guys that we bring into the building here, you wanted to see their football character come out on tape," Allen said. "So you wanted to see guys that played hard and they played physical and they had great effort to the ball. All those things are things that they have.

"And when you're smart and you're willing to frickin' work, then you're gonna improve and you're gonna get better. So there was a skill set with him that we liked and I continue to see him developing. But the thing that gets you the most excited is just how hard he plays. And look, effort's a talent and he's got that."

A setup guy

Another reason van den Berg might not be as impactful is Allen sees his playing level more as a setup man instead of the playmaker.

"I think a lot of times with defensive linemen, you can have a lot of hidden production where you’re just so disruptive that you create opportunities for other players," Allen said. "And that’s probably where he’s at right now and hopefully we can continue to work with him and develop some of those finishing moves where not only does he have disruption but he has production."

The finishing moves are making the actual sack or getting the actual tackle for loss after the penetration. What had impressed Allen most about van den Berg was his fundamentals.

"The No. 1 thing was just how he came out of his hips when he was striking blocks and being able to get his head up, was probably the biggest and still probably the biggest thing that we’ve got to continue to work on with him because he’s got all the skillset, he’s got the physicality, he’s got the effort," Allen said. "I think probably coming up with a finishing move, whether that be in the run game to be able to strike blocks and then at the end of the day, be able to disengage and shed, get off the block and make the play.

"Or in the passing game, the finishing move to try to get to the quarterback. I think those are all things – as they are with a lot of young guys – things that he’s got to improve on."

If van den Berg is an example of a player who has plenty to improve before he can be as good as the starters, it could make for the dominant defensive interior the Bears have been seeking.
It could make their pass rush pressure better, as well as their run defense.

That could even make up for some of the deficiencies their inexperience in the secondary will cause.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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