ESPN’s Bill Barnwell just dropped his ‘All-Backup team’ for 2026, a roster he thinks could actually contend. And guess what? The Minnesota Vikings contributed two players to this wild hypothetical squad. The real eye-opener is linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., a guy who started his first two seasons but now projects as a backup and finds himself on this list. This isn’t just some random pick; it shines a light on some serious shifts happening in Minnesota as training camps get underway.
Ivan Pace Jr.’s Sudden Slide
Pace isn’t just some rookie nobody; he was a starter in both his 2023 and 2024 seasons for the Vikings. But last year? He lost that starting gig to Eric Wilson. Barnwell said it wasn’t even Pace’s fault, apparently Wilson “suddenly went supernova” in pass protection, earning more playing time and taking over the job. Pace is undersized, sure, at 5-10 and 236 pounds, but he is a capable player when he is around the line of scrimmage and in coverage.
The PFF grades really tell a story, too. After a solid 77.1 as a rookie in 2023 and a respectable 63.0 in 2024, Pace’s grade plummeted to a brutal 45.1 last year. That made him the lowest-graded defender for the Vikings among anyone who logged at least 100 snaps. That’s a massive drop for a player who was once a fixture in the starting lineup. It shows just how quickly things can change in the NFL, even for talented guys.
The Undrafted Punter’s Uphill Battle
Then you have punter Bret Thorson, an undrafted free agent straight out of Georgia, also snagging a spot on Barnwell’s backup squad. Thorson spent four years punting for Georgia, and now he is staring down a tough competition with veteran Johnny Hekker for the starting job in Minneapolis. It’s a real uphill climb for him to make the 53-man roster, especially for an undrafted guy trying to unseat a proven player. The one silver lining? As an international player, he doesn’t count against the team’s roster count, which might give him a tiny edge in a competitive camp battle.
So, as training camps heat up across the league, these two Vikings have some serious battles ahead. Pace needs to prove he can regain that early-career form and fight his way back into a more prominent role. And Thorson? He has to show he can out-perform a seasoned vet and lock down a roster spot. It’s all about proving your worth when you are on that fringe, especially when ESPN is already slotting you onto an ‘All-Backup’ roster.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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