Before today, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles had traded up in the NFL draft just one time, and that was for Tyrique Stevenson in 2023. But Poles has now traded up not once but twice in the 2026 NFL draft. First, he moved up in the fourth round for cornerback Malik Muhammad , who already looks like a Day 3 steal. Just a few hours later, Poles moved up again, this time selecting Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg in the sixth round .

The Bears are making a bet on athletic upside

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I'll be blunt: van den Berg's stat sheet is nothing to write home about. He recorded just 5.5 sacks in five seasons, and three of those came in 2025. But sixth-round picks aren't for drafting guys with gaudy numbers (those prospects are all long gone anyway).…