The Minnesota Vikings have one of the more talented rosters in the National Football League. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has done a fantastic job of building it since taking over the team in 2022.
Where he's been most impressive is building the defense for defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The moves he's made to bring in talent have been nothing short of excellent, but especially when you look at how much value he has found in those players.
Pro Football Focus put together the top 32 linebackers (off ball linebackers, not edge rushing outside linebackers) in the National Football League and the Vikings have two of them. The first one is Blake Cashman, who sits at 12th.
Cashman cashed in on a stellar 2023 season in Houston with a $22.5 million deal from the Vikings, one he has already paid off in a big way.
While his PFF coverage grade took a step back in 2024, he continued to excel as a blitzer and run defender in Brian Flores' aggressive, blitz-heavy scheme. His 72.0 PFF pass-rush grade ranked fifth among linebackers with at least 100 rushing snaps, joining his 82nd-percentile PFF run-defense grade over the past two seasons.
The other Vikings linebacker on the list is Ivan Pace Jr., who clocks in at 32nd overall.
Injuries largely hindered what Pace was able to accomplish in 2024. Even still, he produced an 87.0 PFF run-defense grade, good for seventh in the NFL. However, he suffered a significant drop in PFF coverage grade, going from 77.7 in 2023 to 29.3 in 2024, the lowest among qualifying linebackers.
It's no surprise that both players made the list, especially Cashman. The Vikings went 13-2 with him in the lineup, as his well-rounded skill set is perfect for how Flores runs his defense. His run defense, ability to blitz, and drop into coverage gives Flores a ton of flexibility on the back end.
For Pace, it's a little bit different. He isn't quite the same well-rounded player that Cashman is, but what he does bring to the table is immense run defense and blitzing prowess. He leverages his short frame incredibly well to get underneath the offensive line to get penetration in the backfield. He does it better than just about
It's a good group for the Vikings to continue building around.
