Uncovering the Phenomenon: Why Chicago Bears Rookie Jordan Van Den Berg is the Ultimate Preseason Draft Steal
As the anticipation builds for the kickoff of a brand-new NFL season, fans and analysts alike spend weeks dissecting roster battles, tracking training camp standouts, and poring over preseason film. Every single year, a handful of unheralded prospects manage to defy expectations, bursting onto the scene with high-intensity performances that turn heads across the league. However, rare is the occasion when a rookie’s film sparks the kind of universal jaw-dropping reaction reserved for true anomalies of the game. For followers of the Chicago Bears and astute observers of trench warfare, that precise phenomenon has arrived in the form of rookie defensive lineman Jordan Van Den Berg.
When evaluating the trenches during preseason play, evaluators typically look for foundational traits: explosive get-off, functional strength, hand placement, and an understanding of gap integrity. Yet, reviewing the game tape of Jordan Van Den Berg reveals something entirely different—an unyielding, relentless motor combined with a positional versatility that makes him a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators. From lining up in a standard three-technique on the outside shoulder of a guard to shifting down to a zero-tech, a one-tech, a 2i, a four-eye, and even out to a five-technique, Van Den Berg has showcased an extraordinary capacity to impact the game from virtually anywhere along the defensive front. This rare alignment flexibility provides defensive coordinators with a devastating chess piece, allowing them to exploit favorable matchups and disrupt blocking schemes before the snap even occurs.
One of the most striking elements of Van Den Berg’s film is his uncanny ability to convert brute leverage into immediate backfield penetration. In studying his early reps against the run, the tape highlights masterclasses in technical nuance and raw functional power. On various snaps, opposing offenses attempt to execute complex zone runs or reach blocks, assuming that pulling tackles or center-guard combinations will successfully wall off the interior defender. Instead, Van Den Berg consistently showcases exceptional flexibility, getting skinny through gaps, dipping his inside arm over blockers, and establishing dominant front-side leverage. Once he pierces the line of scrimmage, his pursuit speed takes over, collapsing running lanes and swallowing ball-carriers deep in the backfield before they can ever build momentum. It is a level of disruption that forces offensive lines into constant guesswork, altering play designs and short-circuiting drives before they can truly start.
Beyond his proficiency against the run game, Van Den Berg’s pass-rushing upside has proven equally electrifying. Generating consistent pressure from the interior is the holy grail of modern defense, and the rookie has demonstrated a diverse toolset of pass-rush moves that often rivals seasoned edge defenders. Whether he is utilizing a devastating bull rush to drive opposing guards and centers four to five yards directly into the lap of the quarterback or executing sudden interior counters, his low center of gravity and relentless push create chaos. When a defensive lineman consistently forces quarterbacks into rushed decisions, hurried throws, errant tosses, or outright sacks and fumbles, the entire defensive unit elevates its performance. Even during preseason action where competition levels vary, the sheer dominance of his tape suggests that his collegiate flashes were merely a preview of a much higher ceiling in the professional ranks.
Perhaps the most telling sign of Van Den Berg’s rising status within the league is how opposing units are already adjusting their game plans to account for him. In recent film breakdowns, instances have emerged where offensive lines are forced to allocate full slide protections and double-team combinations specifically toward the rookie. Being singled out for specialized blocking attention as a rookie during the preseason speaks volumes about the immediate respect he commands from opposing coaches. When facing a double team, discipline becomes paramount; the defender must maintain lane integrity, reading the quarterback’s eyes, containing potential scramble lanes, and serving as a disciplined anchor. Van Den Berg’s football IQ shines in these exact moments. Rather than fighting blindly into two blockers and losing gap control, he maintains his discipline, reads the play unfold, and exhibits the kind of high-effort chase-down mentality that coaches preach but rarely find.
Ultimately, effort is the one quality that scouts and coaches consistently agree cannot be simply manufactured or taught. A player either possesses a relentless motor that drives them through every whistle, or they do not. Jordan Van Den Berg plays every single snap as though his entire career hinges on the outcome of that micro-second, displaying a 100% effort level that radiates across the entire defensive unit. As the regular season approaches, the narrative surrounding the Chicago Bears’ draft class continues to evolve, with many now pointing to this interior disruptor as an absolute steal relative to where he was selected. If his preseason film is any true indication of what lies ahead, opponents will quickly learn that containing Jordan Van Den Berg is an impossible task, and his impact in the trenches will be felt loudly throughout the upcoming NFL campaign.
