The Chicago Bears have officially closed the book on the 2026 NFL Draft, but the real story of the weekend is only just beginning. Following the unexpected, meteoric rise of 2025 seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai—who transformed from a low-profile prospect into a staple of the Bears’ offensive backfield—General Manager Ryan Poles seems to have doubled down on a philosophy that prioritizes raw, high-ceiling talent in the later rounds. With the selection of Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg, the Bears may have secured the most significant “steal” of the 2026 class, setting the stage for a narrative arc that mirrors the grit and productivity that defined Monangai’s rookie campaign. This isn’t just a depth signing; it is a tactical acquisition that signals a shift in how Chicago evaluates developmental potential, focusing on physical outliers who possess the specific, hard-nosed traits necessary to thrive in Head Coach Ben Johnson’s system.
Key Highlights
- The Monangai Blueprint: Kyle Monangai’s 2025 rookie season, featuring nearly 1,000 scrimmage yards, proved that late-round picks can act as immediate, core contributors in the current Bears offense.
- The Next Man Up: Jordan van den Berg, a 310-pound defensive tackle with a perfect 10.0 Relative Athletic Score (RAS), has been identified by analysts as the potential “steal of the draft,” mirroring the underdog trajectory of Monangai.
- Positional Pivot: While Monangai provided offensive stability, van den Berg offers the rare, explosive interior pass-rushing ability that the Bears desperately lacked in the 2025 season, when they struggled to pressure the quarterback.
- Systemic Scouting: Chicago’s front office has moved away from traditional “consensus board” drafting, instead leaning heavily into metric-based evaluations to identify players like van den Berg who were undervalued by the broader league.
The Anatomy of the “Draft Steal”
The concept of the “draft steal” is often overused in sports media, usually applied to mid-round picks who simply perform adequately. However, the path forged by Kyle Monangai offers a specific, measurable template for success in Chicago. Monangai arrived at Halas Hall in 2025 as a seventh-rounder, widely expected to compete merely for a roster spot on special teams. Instead, he utilized a low center of gravity, elite vision, and a non-fumble pedigree to carve out a permanent role alongside D’Andre Swift. The organizational confidence in that process—trusting film and verified high-level metrics over draft position—has culminated in the selection of Jordan van den Berg.
The Metrics Behind the Man
Van den Berg is not a project; he is a statistical anomaly. Recording a perfect 10.0 on the Relative Athletic Score (RAS) as a defensive tackle is a feat rarely seen in the history of the NFL draft. Standing 6’3″ and weighing 310 pounds, his ability to pair traditional size with a 4.94-second 40-yard dash and a 36-inch vertical jump makes him an outlier in every sense of the word. In the modern NFL, where defensive linemen are expected to play both the run and the pass, these testing numbers suggest he can be an immediate impact player in passing downs, specifically in the “nickel” sub-packages that Chicago runs to defend modern spread offenses.
The Coaching Factor
Head Coach Ben Johnson has publicly emphasized the need for “versatile disruptors” on the defensive interior. The struggle the Bears faced in 2025—finishing with one of the lowest pass-rush win rates in the league—was not necessarily due to a lack of effort, but a lack of twitch-based explosiveness at the point of attack. Van den Berg’s college tape, though featuring only five sacks over five seasons, hides a more complex reality: he was a constant, disruptive force who required double-teams to neutralize. If Johnson can leverage this player’s athleticism to create one-on-one scenarios for edge rushers, van den Berg will provide value far exceeding his late-round selection status.
Psychological Grit: The Overlooked Variable
Perhaps the most compelling parallel between Monangai and van den Berg is their psychological makeup. Monangai was defined by his “no-fumble” record and his ability to run behind his pads, a testament to his discipline. Van den Berg brings a different, yet equally valuable, edge: the hunger of a former fan of the team’s biggest rival, the Green Bay Packers. This ironic twist in the draft creates an interesting narrative for the upcoming season. Players who have “something to prove”—whether it is a Rutgers back fighting for a roster spot or a Georgia Tech defender switching allegiances—tend to have a higher threshold for the grind of the NFL season. The Bears aren’t just drafting athletes; they are drafting personalities that fit the “blue-collar” ethos that has seemingly taken root in Chicago over the last 18 months.
Secondary Angles: The Future of Bears’ Construction
The “Poles Model” and Financial Sustainability
General Manager Ryan Poles is establishing a distinct blueprint for roster construction. By consistently finding high-impact contributors in the late rounds, the Bears are mitigating the “rookie wage scale” problem. When you have a quarterback contract potentially looming or high-paid veterans on the roster, the ability to fill starting-caliber roles with cost-controlled, late-round rookies is the difference between a window of contention and a rebuild. If van den Berg pans out, it validates the strategy of sacrificing high-end picks for “lottery ticket” volume, effectively spreading risk across multiple draft picks.
The Shift to Defensive Identity
For much of the past decade, Chicago has been caught in a tug-of-war between offensive modernization and defensive legacy. With Johnson leading the offense and potentially influencing defensive coordination, there is a clear synthesis emerging. The addition of van den Berg indicates that the organization has accepted that their 2025 defensive woes were systemic. Rather than trying to rebuild the entire front seven with splashy, expensive free agents, they are opting for “surgical” additions—players like van den Berg who excel in specific, high-leverage roles. This shift toward niche utility over generalist play is the hallmark of modern, championship-contending teams.
Can the 2025 Success be Reproduced?
There is inherent risk in hoping for lightning to strike twice. Kyle Monangai’s success was arguably an outlier, aided by specific injuries to the running back room that opened a lane for him. Can van den Berg overcome the steep learning curve of NFL defensive line play, which is famously more difficult to master for rookies than running back? The answer lies in the defensive rotation. By not asking him to play 70 snaps a game, but rather 20-30 high-intensity, pass-rush-focused snaps, the Bears are setting him up for a “situational” success that can grow into a starting role by 2027. The patience shown by the coaching staff will be the ultimate determinant of whether he follows the Monangai trajectory or becomes another forgotten name on the depth chart.
FAQ: People Also Ask
1. Why was Jordan van den Berg drafted so late?
Despite his elite physical metrics, his collegiate production (five sacks over five seasons) did not match his testing numbers, causing teams to question his polish as a technician. The Bears, however, valued the athleticism as a ceiling-raiser.
2. How does Kyle Monangai’s rookie year compare to other notable late-round Bears picks?
Monangai’s 2025 season is widely considered the best return on investment for a 7th-round pick in modern franchise history, given his nearly 1,000 yards from scrimmage and reliability in key games.
3. Is Jordan van den Berg expected to start immediately?
No. He will likely begin as a rotational defensive tackle, focused on passing downs and third-and-long situations, allowing him to acclimate to the speed of the NFL before competing for a larger role.
4. What is the “10.0 RAS” and why does it matter?
Relative Athletic Score (RAS) is a composite metric that compares a prospect’s combine or pro day results to historical data. A 10.0 is the highest possible score, indicating he performed better than virtually every other player at his position historically in speed, strength, and explosive drills.
