Processing / Game IQ
Pros:
•Is pretty good at determining pass or run
•Able to stay in his gap for the most part, even when getting double-teamed
•Good awareness when pass rushing to recognize when the quarterback is scrambling
Cons:
•Will fly upfield past the play at times and get himself out of the play
Athleticism / Frame
Pros:
•Historic performance at his pro day
•Elite short-area quickness shown on the shuttle drill
•Sub 5 second 40 time
•35 reps on bench
Cons:
•Average weight and was moved around a bit in the run game
•Below average length
Tackling / Wrap Up
Pros:
•Is able to disengage from blocks against one lineman and make a play on the running back
•Didn’t let the quarterback escape him many times if he got his hands on him
•Make a couple nice diving tackles
Cons:
•Shorter arms made his tackle radius a lot smaller than you would like
Pursuit / Motor
Pros:
•Very high motor and would consistently show up on plays that ended down the field
•Would always get up after getting knocked down and continue to chase the play
•Effort never seemed to go down and didn’t take plays off at all
Cons:
•None
Hand Usage
Pros:
•Very heavy hands to beat blocks 1 on 1
•Violent punch and showed pretty decent placement on his hands
•Solid chop move during pass rush on the outside, he pulled out a couple of times
•Showed a decent swim move but didn’t use it very often
Cons:
•Shorter arms make it harder for him to get hands on
•Needs to get better at hand fighting during pass rush for any of his moves
Block Shedding / Run Defense
Pros:
•Got double-teamed on almost every play and didn’t get pushed back
•Could stay in gaps usually
•Was able to make plays when there was only one lineman blocking him
•Elite first step quickness allows him to get upfield quickly and has 0 trouble getting through reach blocks
Cons:
•Would consistently end up on the turf due to being double-teamed
•Would sometimes get upfield too quickly and end up away from the play
•Wasn’t able to reach out very far to tackle the ball carrier
Strength / Balance / Leverage
Pros:
•Never got stood up and pushed back
•Would consistently get pushed when just bull rushing and driving his feet
•Anchored well and didn’t get pushed back much
•Very solid as a penetrator in stunts and twists
Cons:
•Would get knocked off balance consistently by linemen coming over and hitting him from the side
Explosiveness / Twitch / Agility
Pros:
•Elite explosiveness off the line
•Elite short-area quickness shown at pro day
•Good suddenness to disengage when the ball carrier is close
Cons:
•None
Games Watched:
•Week 2 vs GWEB, Week 6 vs VT, Week 9 vs NCSU, Week 10 vs BC, BOWL vs BYU
Ideal Situation
•Jordan van den Berg was a pretty forgotten defensive tackle from Georgia Tech until his pro day. He had one of the best performances for any DT in recent memory and put himself on the draft radar. Ran a sub-5-second 40-yard dash, benched 225 lbs for 35 reps, and a 4.19 shuttle drill. While his athleticism measures almost off the charts, his frame may hold him back. He’s only 6’3 and weighs 310 lbs, and possesses below-average arm length. These metrics keep him from making some of the tackles that are a little farther outside his frame, allowing ball carriers to slip tackles. These shorter arms also make it a little harder to pass rush, as the lineman can throw a punch before he can get his hands on. His elite first step and explosiveness off the line help with this and allow him to get into the blocker's chest at times and get push. In the run game, he gets double-teamed on almost every play, but on the few plays where he was 1-on-1, he was able to shed and disengage pretty consistently. His defining trait for me was his effort and what he showed on every play. He chased the quarterback out of the pocket and consistently showed up in frame on downfield plays. Not to mention always popping right back up after getting knocked down mid-play. The Bears picked him up with pick 213 in the draft, and this is an A grade. This late in the draft, why not take a shot on a very athletically gifted defensive tackle that the team could reasonably mold into whatever they need? His short frame does limit him, but they could develop him into a pass-rush specialist as a penetrator in stunts or use his exceptional motor on special teams.
Rating:
•Processing / Game IQ – 6.2/10
•Athleticism / Frame – 8.0/10
•Tackling / Wrap Up – 5.0/10
•Pursuit / Motor – 10.0/10
•Hand Usage – 5.3/10
•Block Shedding / Run Defense – 5.4/10
•Strength / Balance / Leverage – 5.9/10
•Explosiveness / Twitch / Agility – 10.0/10
Total = 65.7 (D+) Late 5th Grade
DraftedR6 • P213Chicago Bears