Can Ivan Pace Jr. Surpass Brian Asamoah to Start at Inside Linebacker?

How on earth did Ivan Pace Jr. go undrafted?

The Vikings rookie linebacker was a unanimous All-American at Cincinnati last year. He flashed at the Senior Bowl, too. Sure, he's undersized at 5'10", 230 pounds, but he can flat-out play.

Since joining the Vikings, Pace has certainly looked like a player other teams are going to regret passing on. He's been one of the main standouts of training camp thus far, and on Thursday night, he flashed all kinds of potential in his preseason debut.

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Pace started and played into the third quarter, leading the Vikings with six tackles. He wore the green dot and got things organized defensively, which is a sign of the trust Minnesota's coaches already have in him. Pace looked fantastic as a run defender, showing off his complete skill set to get to the ball and make plays. In one early instance, he blew up the Seahawks' right guard for a run stop. Later, he patiently waited for his moment to accelerate forward to the line of scrimmage for another tackle.

Vikings definitely have something in UDFA LB Ivan Pace Jr.

Good run fits vs. the Seahawks pic.twitter.com/f1KOVVYuwY
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) August 11, 2023

"He keeps flashing," Kevin O'Connell said. "You just see him around the ball a lot. He got a lot of green dot work calling the defense, which I know he was looking forward to. All that guy does is continue to do what he's done his whole career, which is make a lot of plays, be around the football. Savvy, instincts, and then when he sees it, he's downhill making plays. Really, really excited about where he's at right now."

The hype around Pace had already been building before this game. Now it's gone to another level, with some suggesting he could be the rare undrafted player to start as a rookie.

I'm sold on Pace, who is a lock to make the 53-man roster and seems to clearly be the Vikings' No. 3 inside linebacker right now behind Jordan Hicks and Brian Asamoah. I think he contributes as a rookie and I think he has a bright future beyond this year. But let's pump the brakes a little before we start penciling him into the starting lineup and declaring him a future Pro Bowler.

Pace shined in this game as a run defender and tackler, but he looked a bit lost in pass coverage several times. While acknowledging that PFF coverage grades are imperfect because they can't know the exact rules and responsibilities within the defense, Pace earned a 44.7 grade on 15 coverage snaps, compared to a 72.5 grade as a run defender. That's an area where we'll need to see more from him moving forward.

Unless something changes significantly, Asamoah is still locked in as the Vikings' starter alongside Hicks. The 2022 third-round pick showed flashes late last season and, like Pace, appears to be built for Brian Flores' attacking scheme. The difference is Asamoah is slightly bigger, slightly more athletic, and has a full year as an NFL player under his belt.

Pace is a seriously exciting prospect to track moving forward. He was a steal of a UDFA and should have a legitimate role in 2023, both on defense and special teams. But let's be clear: Asamoah is the starter until proven otherwise.

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