3 Vikings Veterans Trending Towards Roster Bubble: Ivan Pace's Future Is Officially in Question

An already-young defense could get even younger as this trio's outlook trends in the wrong direction.

It's becoming more likely that Ivan Pace Jr. will be on the Vikings' roster bubble when all is said and done. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Vikings are a team that is preparing for the future. Many of their recent roster moves were made to get younger and cut ties with players with bloated contracts who weren't performing up to the team's standards.

This trend is something the Vikings' front office is well aware of. At the moment, Minnesota is enjoying having a team that isn't hampered by having a massive quarterback contract hanging over its head. However, the franchise won't always have that flexibility and can't afford to put itself in a bad situation moving forward.

The majority of the Purple and Gold's youth movement has come on the defensive side of the ball. Having defensive coordinator Brian Flores makes spotting and developing young players less of a headache, which makes sense since his unit is typically one of the most aggressive and successful in the league.

Vikings DC Brian Flores will have some interesting decisions to make regarding who will (and won't) make the final roster. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Vikings don't have many veterans on their roster who are in danger of being on the roster bubble for the 2026 NFL season. However, three players should definitely be watching their backs since they are in danger of being passed on the depth chart and possibly becoming expendable.

3. Ivan Pace, LB

At one time. Ivan Pace looked like a player who would become a 10-year starter for the Vikings. He played 706 defensive snaps for Minnesota as a rookie, but that number has declined with each season, and last season saw him involved in 323 defensive snaps.

Pace was surpassed on the depth chart by veteran defender Eric Wilson during the 2025 season, and he doesn't appear to be getting that role back anytime soon. And now Pace will face competition for snaps from rookie linebacker Jake Golday, who will likely see time in the middle and on the edge.

At this point, it seems fair to wonder why Pace fell so far out of the coaching staff's good graces. The question also exists of how much farther he could slide down the depth chart. All it would take is an impressive performance from a player like Josh Ross or Jacob Roberts for the team to put him on the roster bubble.

2. Tavierre Thomas, DB

It's not a great sign when the mention of a player's name brings negative plays to mind. Tavierre Thomas had a couple of plays in 2025 that made Vikings fans scratch their heads, but the team still seems to see value in him.

The 30-year-old defensive back played only 18 defensive snaps for Minnesota last season but saw the bulk of his action in 371 special teams snaps. Sadly, special teams is where his errors occurred last year, as his four penalties committed on the unit were tied for the seventh-most in the league, per Pro Football Focus.

Does Tavierre Thomas have what it takes to get back into the Vikings' good graces and make the 53-man roster? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For a defender who isn't known for his defense, Thomas needs to be considered a bubble player until he can become a more consistent contributor on special teams. Unless he can do that, a younger player with more defensive potential could pass him on the depth chart.

1. Eric Johnson II, DL

As previously mentioned, the Vikings got younger this season, and the most obvious place to point is the defensive line. The team parted ways with two expensive veterans and replaced them with selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, using two of their first three picks on Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange.

It's not only the draft picks that would get in the way of Eric Johnson II, who recorded an underwhelming 47.6 PFF defense grade in 131 snaps with the Colts last season.

Returning players such as Jalen Redmond and Levi Drake Rodriguez should also be considered as close to locks for the 53-man roster as possible. That means the margin of error for Johnson is extremely small, and he will need to be impressive for the rest of the Vikings' practices and preseason games.

Update (Aug. 19, 11:01 a.m. CT): The Vikings officially released Johnson on Wednesday morning to make room for offensive guard Joshua Gray.

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