The Vikings Appear Likely to Move Out 1 Upside Defender in a Trade
Slowly, Ivan Pace Jr. has seen his role on defense decline for the Vikings.
The linebacker was — and remains — a sensational add from within undrafted free agency. Snagging a sometimes starter and special teams stalwart at that point in the offseason’s talent acquisition phase was A+ work from GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. That same front office executive now gets a shot at recouping even more value by flipping Mr. Pace in a trade, the most likely outcome for a variety of reasons.
The Vikings Appear Likely to Trade Ivan Pace Jr.
Too often, NFL coaches spend disproportionate attention on what a player can’t do rather than what a player can do. The wise coach figures out his players and then caters the strategy toward amplifying individual strengths.
Brian Flores — someone who is burning up the NFL headlines — has been wise in his deployment of Mr. Pace. Let the ‘backer who loves to fly forward fly forward. Makes sense, right? Occasionally, Pace gets tasked with doing other things, but Coach Flores has largely allowed Pace to play with the nastiness that comes from running downhill rather than the finesse of dropping into coverage.
The great issue that arose in 2025 is that Ivan Pace began missing far too many tackles in run defense. Pace missed 11 during this past season, a poor outcome for someone who also has some serious limitations when it comes to covering tight ends and running backs on routes.
Accordingly, Eric Wilson became the new starter opposite Blake Cashman.
There’s now the issue of how to proceed with Pace. At 25, Pace is reasonably unique in Minnesota insofar as he’s one of the few youthful players to have a lot of starting experience. Finding a way to keep him does have appeal — especially if the aggressive tactician remains at DC — but a trade may end up being the most likely outcome due to the scarcity of financial resources.
An acquiring team would need to have the right situation for Pace to slide into. Essentially, an open linebacker job; ideally, one from within an ascending team that employs a defensive playcaller who enjoys bringing pressure.
Ivan Pace has been underpaid by a massive amount since becoming a Viking in 2023. He landed $236,000 guaranteed to venture to the Twin Cities. Playing through the full UDFA contract means having been paid just $2,715,000 across three seasons.
His new deal seems likely to surpass that three-year total on an annual basis.
The Vikings would do well to get a 5th or a 6th for Pace. After all, the acquiring team would be onboarding someone who doesn’t play a super important position, who needs a new contract, and who has some flaws within his game. The upside is that Pace can be a defensive playmaker who makes quarterbacks skittish.
Lately, Carolina has been a landing spot for jettisoned Vikings, so keep the NFC South team in the back of your mind.
Presently, the NFL can’t see any trades take place. Things will open up in March. Look for Adofo-Mensah to explore the options that exist for his yet-to-be paid defender.
