Vikings Defender Loudly Announces He’s Deserving of a Starting Gig
Veteran Vikings defender Eric Wilson is good enough to start for Minnesota. The issue? Simply that the modern NFL seldom requires three off-ball linebackers.
Blake Cashman has been working on his health (or lack thereof) since going down to injury in Week 1. Hamstring injuries can be tricky, offering little by way of precision when it comes to a timeline. One still does wonder about the LB1 getting back onto the field for Minnesota’s next game since Mr. Cashman enters a bye week alongside the rest of his teammates. If Cashman does come back, where does that leave the team’s LB2? Put differently, is Wilson going to be the LB2?
Vikings Defender Eric Wilson as a Starter
If the desire is to have someone who can attack, then stick with Ivan Pace Jr.
The third-year ‘backer has his shortcomings, but few are as aggressive as Mr. Pace. He moves quickly, never hesitating to fly forward with the aim of walloping whoever has the ball. Lost in the shuffle of the brilliant Isaiah Rodgers pick-six is that Pace hit Jake Browning as the quarterback was releasing the ball (video). The pressure directly fed into the turnover.
Pace, 24, has been a massive success in Minnesota.
The undrafted talent became a starter as a rookie, much to the delight of the prophets and prognosticators who insisted the Vikings did well to pickup the undersized linebacker.
So far in 2025, Pace has been involved in all five Vikings games, earning 238 snaps for Brian Flores’s defense. That’s sitting at 76% of the defense’s plays. Pace has 37 tackles, 1 sack, 4 QB hits, and 2 tackles for loss.
Meanwhile, Eric Wilson is stating his case to stick around as a starter.
Like Pace, Wilson was an undrafted linebacker who began his career as a Viking (back in the days of Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks). In fact, Wilson and Pace both played collegiate football as Cincinnati Bearcats. The pair have much in common, including being a touch smaller than most linebackers. Pace comes in at 5’10” and 231 pounds; Wilson comes in at 6’1″ and 230 pounds.
Mr. Wilson has been playing solid ball. He’s sitting on 35 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 2 forced fumbles. Wilson sees his playing time coming in at 255 snaps for Coach Flores, working out to 82% of the opportunities on defense.
A notable distinction between the pair is that Wilson has been wearing the green dot as Cashman recovers. That means the veteran defender has the earpiece in his helmet, allowing Flores to call in plays before Wilson relays the word to his teammates. The suggestion is that Wilson is viewed as a better option to lead things on a communication level.
Eric Wilson is operating from within his first season under Flores. Pace, meanwhile, is stepping into his third season with the DC. Keep in mind, as well, that Pace proclaimed himself as the green dot leading into 2024 before the move was to give things over to Cashman.
In taking Pace off the field — were that to occur — the Vikings’ defense wouldn’t be subtracting someone who is calling the shots.
Ask PFF and the decision appears fairly clear: roll with Eric Wilson. The veteran’s 54.4 grade isn’t any reason to throw a parade, though it’s a decent bit ahead of Pace. The aggressive LB2 is coming in at just a 45.5 grade.
Worse yet, the missed tackles have piled up for Mr. Pace. The same website (PFF) suggests that Pace is sitting on 10 missed tackles, meaning he has an unsustainably-high average of 2 missed tackles per game. Wilson, for his part, hasn’t been flawless. The 31-year-old ‘backer has 7 missed tackles, far too high.
Kevin O’Connell thinks that Blake Cashman is working back toward the field. Reinserting him into the lineup would be great for the defense, better allowing Minnesota to matchup with the NFL’s formidable runners and tight ends.
The mystery rests in whether Eric Wilson will remain in the lineup. The veteran was brought back for $2.6 million and has been a bargain.
Rounding out the linebacker position are rookies Kobe King (6th Round) and Austin Keys (UDFA). Look for both to remain in their depth roles as special teams players who could someday get into the lineup on defense.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
