Vikings rookie linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. is starting to get noticed in the NFL.
On the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, All-Pros Jason and Travis Kelce talked about Pace, who plays against Travis's Chiefs this weekend and shined against Jason's Eagles in Week 2. The Kelce brothers are slightly biased as former University of Cincinnati players, like Pace, but it's clear Jason came away from their meeting highly impressed by the undrafted rookie.
"Ivan Pace, former Bearcat, one of the inside linebackers," Jason said. "Dude, we played against them, I'm not kidding you, that dude is a freaking beast. He is all over the place, quick-twitch, a little bit smaller but don't play like it."
"Just one UC great after the next," Travis said.
Not only did Pace pull off the rare, impressive feat of earning a starting job as an undrafted rookie, he's off to a heck of a four-game start to his career with 25 tackles, six pressures, three QB hits, and 0.5 sacks so far. His 80.7 PFF grade ranks eighth among 76 inside 'backers who have played at least 100 snaps. It also ranks third among all rookies, trailing only two first-round picks.
Pace's best game came in that matchup with Philadelphia, where he had three pressures and eight tackles.
"Check him out," Jason said. "I tried to talk to him after the game, he big-timed me. He went back in, didn't get a chance to talk to him."
"He lost, so (I get it)," Travis said.
Pace and the Vikings will look to pull off the upset as home underdogs against the Chiefs on Sunday.
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