Bears Close 2026 NFL Draft With Georgia Tech DT Jordan Van Den Berg
Chicago lands Georgia Tech DT Jordan Van Den Berg late, finally addressing defensive line needs after a strategic draft approach.
Yet another draft in the Ryan Poles era came to a close for the Chicago Bears on Saturday. The Bears took eight players, starting with Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman . Chicago then drafted Iowa center Logan Jones, followed by Stanford tight end Sam Roush, LSU wideout Zavion Thomas , Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad, Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan Van Den Berg.
After fans were clamoring for Poles to take a defensive lineman, the Bears finally got one in the sixth round. Chicago needed help at edge rusher and defensive tackle ahead of the draft. The Bears needed help at edge rusher last season.
Dayo Odeyingbo went down with an Achilles injury and missed significant time. There was a lack of depth that went on full display after the injury. Montez Sweat had a productive season, recording 10 sacks.
There wasn't really much depth outside of him. Gervon Dexter (6) and Austin Booker (4. 5) were the only others who really provided a consistent pass rush.