MINNESOTA VIKINGS DEFENDER MAKES SPORTING NEWS' ALL UNDER 25 TEAM
The Minnesota Vikings don't have a ton of standout young defenders right now, but they have one that made the 25 under 25 team in linebacker Ivan Pace Jr.
The Vikings signed Pace as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 NFL Draft and he wowed them from the start. At the beginning of training camp, Pace was impressive enough to where he started getting time with the first team. He worked his way up into a starting job by season's end.
The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer put together the list and had Pace as one of the three linebackers on the list.
The undrafted gem from Miami (Ohio) was on the field everywhere making big plays for Brian Flores as a rookie in 2023. He can become more prolific out of the gate this season.
You might be asking why Iyer had Pace from Miami (Ohio). Well, he started his career there before transferring to Cincinnati before his final season in 2022. A pass-rushing specialist initially, Pace was a great blitzer and run-game penetrator for defensive coordinator Brian Flores in 2023.
Going into 2024, Pace is set to be starting at linebacker next to Blake Cashman. With the Vikings liking the usage of three-safety sets, that could limit his snaps, but that might not be a bad thing. His skill set is much better used in sub-packages than as an every-down player.
The Vikings have a good linebacker room for the first time since peak Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr.
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