The Chicago Bears desperately needed some help in the trenches. Their shaky defensive line left plenty to be desired last season, and even Gervon Dexter Sr.'s career-best year was insufficient to keep opponents in check.
The Bears ignored almost every opportunity they had to bolster the defensive line this offseason, focusing on the secondary and doubling down on their already stacked offense instead. However, an overlooked rookie might actually crash the party.
According to the recently signed Neville Gallimore, sixth-round rookie Jordan van den Berg is looking like one of the steals of the draft. Not only will he play for Ben Johnson's team, but he might actually be their most surprising player.
Neville Gallimore raves about 'surprising' Jordan van den Berg
“Man, I think he's going to be a hell of a football player," Gallimore said (h/t Yahoo). "I think he's growing. His understanding of the game is improving every day, and I just love his competitiveness. Again, great guy for the locker room. He does his job at a high level, and, you know, again, I think he's only going to get better, you know, as he continued to be a part of the system, and I'll say this, I think 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, again, be a guy that surprises a lot of people this year."
Not many sixth-round picks manage to get first-team reps in their first training camp. Granted, the bar wasn't particularly low in Dennis Allen's unit, but still, the fact that he's already climbed the roster ladder so quickly speaks volumes about his impact and work ethic.
Van den Berg's athleticism pops off the charts and is perhaps his most impressive trait. Then again, he's also much stronger than the average guy his size, and he's had no problem moving grown men out of the way in Bears' training camp.
He was a bit of a late bloomer in college, and it seemed that he was going to be more of a project or developmental late-round pick, even as a sixth-year senior. Fast forward to today, and it looks like he's already far ahead of schedule and might take the field early and often, especially if the veterans fail to live up to the expectation.
Grady Jarrett was a big disappointment in his first season with the team, though, given his lofty salary, he's by no means a candidate to be benched this season. That said, it wouldn't be surprising to see van den Berg take the field as a situational pass rusher or even as a run-stopper, even if he's not the biggest guy out there.
The Bears gave up the sixth-most rushing yards and had the seventh-fewest sacks in the league last season. They can't afford to get too cute; they must play the guys with the most motor, regardless of their pedigree or experience, and Jordan van den Berg is a never-ending source of energy who just oozes violence every single time he takes the field.
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