This Vikings UDFA is the Ultimate Defensive Rookie of the Year Longshot
According to SI Sportsbook, Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. is the favorite (at +333) to win Defensive Rookie of the Year for the 2023 season. Next up are Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (+650) and Raiders DE Tyree Wilson (+700), followed up by cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon (+1000) and Christian Gonzalez (+1100) from the Seahawks and Patriots, respectively.
Scroll down...way down...and you'll notice an interesting name at the very bottom of the list. In the 25th and final spot on the section is undrafted Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. at +10000. That means a $100 bet on Pace to win the award would pay out $10,000. It's the longest of odds, with an implied probability of less than 1 percent.
Still, it's notable that you can even bet on Pace to win the award at all. Not only is he the only undrafted player of the 25 on SI's list, each of the other 24 were selected within the top 105 picks.
Pace is the ultimate longshot, but his mere presence on the list tells you that he isn't your typical undrafted rookie. The unanimous All-American was PFF's No. 1 undrafted player this year after finishing last season as the highest-graded linebacker in the country. The former Miami (OH) and Cincinnati star is a flat-out talented football player who went undrafted due to concerns about his lack of size.
Realistically, Pace has virtually no chance to win DROY this year, and that's not a knock on him. His current focus is on making the team out of training camp, providing value on special teams, and potentially even earning some defensive snaps as the year progresses. The Vikings' current depth chart at inside linebacker consists of Jordan Hicks, Brian Asamoah, Troy Reeder, and Troy Dye, so it's not totally absurd to think Pace could carve out a role at some point later in his rookie campaign.
I wouldn't go bet on him to win DROY, but I would make a point to keep an eye on Pace during training camp.
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