Ivan Pace Jr. NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Minnesota Vikings' UDFA LB
HEIGHT: 5'10 1/2"
WEIGHT: 231
HAND: 9 1/2"
ARM: 30 1/4"
WINGSPAN: 72 1/4"
40-YARD DASH: TBD
3-CONE: TBD
SHUTTLE: TBD
VERTICAL: TBD
BROAD: TBD
POSITIVES
– Comes downhill like a heat-seeking missile and is physical at the point of attack to stun guards when blitzing. Clearly craves contact.
– Good at using his quickness and a shoulder dip to avoid contact/make offensive linemen miss.
– Better at taking on blocks with his hands when working laterally versus outside runs. Has the speed to play with good range as a run defender if he gets his angles down.
– Uses his hands well when rushing the passer and has a wide pass-rushing arsenal for an off-ball linebacker that includes a cross chop, rip, spin move and bull rush. Running backs will struggle to keep him away from the quarterback in pass protection.
– Agile to be an effective looper in line games and can take an efficient path to the quarterback when rushing the passer.
– Plenty of speed to close on the quarterback.
– Good at reading the quarterback's eyes to bat passes at the line of scrimmage.
– Has no issues getting to his depth when spot-dropping with his speed and athletic ability.
– High-motor, high-energy type of player.
NEGATIVES
– Significantly undersized for an NFL linebacker; height, weight and arm length are an issue.
– Shaky instincts overall. Takes too long to key and diagnose run plays and has subpar eye discipline in zone coverage. Also has instances where he fits into the wrong gap against the run.
– When taking on blocks heads up, doesn't use his hands and ends up going chest-to-chest with offensive linemen. Getting extension and getting off blocks might always be an issue with him given his short arms.
– Will struggle to hold his ground against NFL offensive linemen, especially if they have a strong base and can survive initial contact. Lacks some lower-body strength to dig his heels in the ground.
– Angles are too shallow versus outside runs.
– Somewhat untested in coverage. Cincinnati rarely had him play in man and would blitz him frequently on passing downs.
2022 STATS
– 13 G, 136 TOT (55 SOLO), 20.5 TFL, 9 SK, 4 PD, 2 FF
NOTES
– Born December 16, 2000
– Miami (OH) transfer
– A 2-Star recruit in the 2019 class, No. 3,045 overall, No. 142 ILB, per 247Sports' composite rankings
– 29 career starts
– 2022 Honors: Unanimous First-Team All-American, AAC Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-AAC, Butkus Award Finalist, Chuck Bednarik Award Finalist
– Brother, Deshawn, also plays linebacker at Cincinnati
OVERALL
Ivan Pace Jr.'s skill set is similar to that of Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.
Like Parsons, Pace is a good athlete for the position. He can be a force when coming downhill and has an impressive pass-rushing arsenal for an off-ball linebacker, which can be a huge asset in the right system. However, he doesn't have Parsons' size. Parsons was 6'3" and 245 pounds coming out of Penn State, while Pace is 5'10 1/2" and 231 pounds.
The Cincinnati product is best when blitzing, but his lack of strength and length shows up against the run when he doesn't have a head of steam and has to take on blocks heads up. He doesn't appear to have a ton of room for growth on his frame, either, so this might be as big as he gets, and he certainly isn't getting any longer.
Pace also struggles in coverage. His eye discipline when playing zone is subpar, and the Bearcats typically had him blitz when they played man coverage. He has a unique skill set as a pass-rusher. but needs to be paired with a creative defensive coordinator who dials up exotic blitzes and isn't reliant on linebackers in coverage.
That makes Pace's scheme fit a challenging one, which, coupled with his lack of size, could cause him to fall on draft day. With that being said, he'd be a great addition for a team that's looking for someone to get after the quarterback and play special teams. It will help that he has experience in the latter at both schools he attended.
GRADE: 6.4 (High-Level Developmental Prospect/5th Round)
OVERALL RANK: 139
POSITION RANK: LB9
PRO COMPARISON: Denzel Perryman
