The Chicago Bears have been praised for their selection of sixth-round defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg out of Georgia Tech, adding much needed depth to their defensive line, albeit later than expected.
Van den Berg was the only defensive lineman that the Bears drafted in this year’s rookie class, giving reason for concern as their pass rush was a big need coming into this offseason, yet not much addition has happened in that regard. During his time with Georgia Tech, van den Berg was highlighted as a player who had outstanding athleticism and was just lacking exposure during his collegiate career, and now he’ll get an opportunity to learn from a player he grew up watching, Grady Jarrett.
The long-time former Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle joined the Bears prior to last season, and will now play a big role as a mentor to van den Berg, who explained that he grew up watching Jarrett throughout his NFL career.
“I would say the people that always like that I really aspire to and watch is Jalen Carter, Fletcher Cox, and Grady Jarrett,” van den Berg said. “(Defensive Line) Coach (Jess) Simpson was my defensive line coach at Georgia Tech and he would show a lot of tape of when he was at the Falcons, because he was the Falcons D-line coach. We used to watch his teach tape all the time. And that’s something that I aspire to be like one day. I’m excited. I’m excited to learn, my coach was able to coach him when he was at the Falcons as defensive line coach. So, I can’t wait to absorb all the information from him.”
Van den Berg sounds as he’s not only ready to come in and work but also come in and learn from Jarrett and the entire coaching staff that will have plenty of potential on their hands to work with and mold. The Bears defensive line didn’t land any superstar names to upgrade their pass rush, but with the right opportunities, van den Berg could make a big difference coming in as a sixth-round pick.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears rookie Jordan van den Berg eager to learn from Grady Jarrett
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
