There’s a Controversial Ivan Pace Jr. Take
Mark it down: June 16th, 2025, was when Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. was called a “disappointment.”
As the saying goes, “There’s a take for everything,” and Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. was an example of that motto this week.
The young defender logged a decent season in 2025, missing six games to injury, but on the whole, the man performed well for an ascending youngster.
But a popular aggregator, Dov Kleiman, disagreed on Monday.
NFL Aggregator Claims Ivan Pace Jr. Is a “Disappointment”
A man named Dov Kleiman, who has risen to notoriety in the last decade as an aggregating NFL account, identified one disappointing player per team last year, and for the Vikings, Pace Jr. got the nod.
Kleiman’s account has nearly 345,000 followers, so the post will reach thousands of eyeballs.
Here’s the tweet:
While not labeled a disappointment per se, VikingsWire‘s Andrew Harbaugh recently called for a bounceback season from Pace Jr: “Ivan Pace Jr. remained in a package-based usage for the most part in 2024, but did play meaningful snaps in two games that Blake Cashman missed. He proved to be a liability in the run game in those two games while thriving as a pass rusher.”
“He needs to find a complete skillset while taking a major step in his development in 2025. If he can do that, it will go a long way for the Vikings to stop the Lions and go deep into the playoffs.”
Perhaps that snippet is what led Kleiman to Pace Jr. for the tweet. It’s the only thing that would make sense.
The Real Story on Ivan Pace Jr.
Pace Jr. logged a 64.6 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2024, his second NFL season, down from 77.1 as a rookie in 2023.
Generally speaking, Pace Jr. did not struggle in 2024, but his pass coverage inside Brian Flores’ defense faltered, tabulating a 29.8 PFF mark last season. In 2023, he logged a 77.7 pass coverage mark, so a vast departure rattled his PFF scorecard.
Therefore, Pace Jr. must improve his pass coverage, but that does not mean he disappointed in 2024, as declared by Kleiman.
Extension Talks Near, in Fact
Meanwhile, Pace Jr. will be eligible for a new contract before too long. The Vikings have handed out extensions to outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, tight end Josh Oliver, and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips in recent weeks.
Pace Jr. may not land a long-term agreement this summer, but he’s slated for restricted free agency next offseason. It feels rather obvious to the naked eye that the Vikings will extend Pace Jr., smacking down any “disappointment” jargon.
If Not Pace Jr. as a Disappointment, Then Who?
Logical onlookers would not call Pace Jr. a disappointment, but that doesn’t mean that Minnesota was immune to them.
Offensive guard Ed Ingram encountered a make-or-break year in 2024 with the Vikings, failing the test because the team traded him to the Houston Texans in March. Ingram will get a fresh start in the AFC South.
Fellow guard Blake Brandel began the 2024 campaign hot, but his production dropped off when left tackle Christian Darrisaw tore his ACL. In return, Minnesota drafted Brandel’s replacement, Donovan Jackson, in April, putting Brandel back on tap for reserve guard duty.
Pace Jr. nowhere near approached the status of those men per disappointment.
The State of the Vikings’ LBs
On the state of the Vikings’ off-ball linebackers, A to Z Sports‘ Tyler Forness wrote earlier this month, “Pro Football Focus put together the top 32 linebackers (off ball linebackers, not edge rushing outside linebackers) in the National Football League and the Vikings have two of them. The first one is Blake Cashman, who sits at 12th.”
“The other Vikings linebacker on the list is Ivan Pace Jr., who clocks in at 32nd overall. It’s no surprise that both players made the list, especially Cashman. The Vikings went 13-2 with him in the lineup, as his well-rounded skill set is perfect for how Flores runs his defense. His run defense, ability to blitz, and drop into coverage gives Flores a ton of flexibility on the back end.”
Pace Jr. will turn 25 in December.
Forness concluded, “For Pace, it’s a little bit different. He isn’t quite the same well-rounded player that Cashman is, but what he does bring to the table is immense run defense and blitzing prowess. He leverages his short frame incredibly well to get underneath the offensive line to get penetration in the backfield. He does it better than just about anyone. It’s a good group for the Vikings to continue building around.”
It’s worth noting that Kleiman’s X account is no stranger to controversy.
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