Two Vikings made the cut on Pro Football Focus's recently-released 2023 all-rookie team — but not the guy you're probably thinking of.
Jordan Addison, the Vikings' first-round pick, didn't make the list despite becoming the 12th player in the Super Bowl era to have ten receiving touchdowns as a rookie. Those three spots went to Puka Nacua, Rashee Rice, and Tank Dell. Nacua obviously deserves to be there, but Rice and Dell making it over Addison (and Zay Flowers) is a bit interesting, even when taking PFF grades into account. Dell only played in 11 games.
The Vikings who did make it are both defensive players, one of whom went undrafted.
LB Ivan Pace Jr.
One of two undrafted players on this list, Pace has been the perfect fit for Brian Flores’ defense in Minnesota. His 77.2 overall PFF grade leads all qualified rookie linebackers and ranks 17th in the league.
Pace’s trademark blitzing ability has carried over from his days at the University of Cincinnati. His 22.9% pass-rush win rate is the second highest among 85 linebackers with at least 20 pass-rush snaps this season.
The Vikings absolutely struck gold by landing Pace as a college free agent. He led all rookie linebackers in basically every single statistical category, and that group includes players like Detroit's Jack Campbell (picked 18th overall) and Denver's Drew Sanders (67th overall). Pace looks like he's going to be a key part of the Vikings' defense for many years to come.
CB Mekhi Blackmon
Blackmon finished third among rookie cornerbacks in overall and PFF coverage grade at 71.7. He is also the only rookie to play 400 snaps and not miss a tackle. That reliability has been a key asset in Minnesota’s rebuilt secondary.
Blackmon also proved to be a ballhawk, leading his team with eight pass breakups despite playing just the seventh-most coverage snaps.
Blackmon, the Vikings' third-round pick, had a quietly strong rookie season. He was outstanding as a tackler and made some plays on the ball, even if his small stature also hurt him at times in contested catch situations. He may never be a star, but he appears to have the tools to be a productive starter for a long time.
For all of the justified criticism Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has received about his disappointing 2022 draft class, it's worth acknowledging that this was a fantastic rookie season for Addison, Blackmon, and Pace. All three have the potential to be important pieces of the Vikings' core moving forward. Adofo-Mensah seems to have hit on that class, which is important.
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