Bears Draft Jordan van den Berg: Georgia Tech DL Selected with 213rd Pick in 2026 NFL Draft

The Chicago Bears selected Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg with the 213th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, marking the team’s second trade-up on Day 3 of the draft.

Van den Berg, who played his final two college seasons at Georgia Tech after transferring from Penn State, was chosen in the sixth round after the Bears surrendered two seventh-round selections (Nos. 239 and 241) to the Buffalo Bills to move up in the draft order.

According to Bears national scout Brendan Rehor, the team had been targeting van den Berg for several weeks, citing his fit with the organization’s defensive goals. “Our coaches have been pounding the table for this kid for a long time, really the last two weeks,” Rehor said. “We kind of have a process where we will give the coaches a stack of guys in this Day 3 range and this kid’s name kept coming up pretty consistently. It’s basically a DNA match with what our coaches want and then also a high character kid from what our scouts gathered.”

Rehor emphasized that van den Berg’s athleticism and explosiveness aligned with the Bears’ objective to improve their defensive line. “Our biggest goal going into this week was to get faster or more explosive on defense,” Rehor stated. “I think this kid kind of fits that, what we want to do. He’s an up-field penetrator. He ran well, he tested well, some of the short area stuff. You see this kid get on edges a lot….”

Van den Berg’s collegiate career featured stints at Iowa Western Community College (2020-21), Penn State (2021-23) and Georgia Tech (2024-25). Over 54 games, he recorded 93 tackles, 20.0 tackles-for-loss, 6.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. In his final season with the Yellow Jackets, he posted career highs with 44 tackles, 11.0 tackles-for-loss, and 3.0 sacks.

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, van den Berg moved to the United States at age 10 and initially played basketball and baseball before beginning football as a high school sophomore. He attended Providence Christian Academy in Lilburn, Georgia.

He earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2024, his first season at Georgia Tech, after recording 23 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Prior to his time with the Yellow Jackets, he spent three seasons at Penn State, totaling 26 tackles, 2.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

Van den Berg was not invited to the NFL Combine but impressed scouts with his performance at Georgia Tech’s Pro Day, where he demonstrated the athleticism that contributed to his selection. He led the Yellow Jackets in tackles for loss (11.0) and total tackles (44) in 2025, ranking second nationally among defensive tackles in tackles for loss and tied for the most in the Power Four conferences.

He is the second Georgia Tech player drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, following offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge, who was selected in the first round and became the first Yellow Jacket taken in the first round since 2010.

The Bears announced the selection via their official website and social media channels, welcoming van den Berg to Chicago with a post featuring the message: “Bringing in a big man 😤Welcome to Chicago, Jordan!” accompanied by a photo of the player.