The Minnesota Vikings signed a former first-round pick to replace linebacker Ivan Pace Jr.
The Minnesota Vikings improved to an 8-2 record after clinching a 30-27 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears. The narrow divisional win kept the Vikings within distance of the Detroit Lions for the NFC North title.
The Vikings defense managed to fluster Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on the first possession of overtime. Vikings outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard managed to sack Williams for a 12-yard loss on second down, and a delay of game penalty forced Chicago into an untenable third-and-26
The sequence perfectly captured Minnesota’s greatest strength: defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ has deployed an aggressive blitz-heavy scheme that has chased down opposing quarterbacks all season. The Vikings currently lead the league in blitz rate (37.3 percent) and have produced the most pressures (131) this season, per Pro Football Reference.
Minnesota wasn’t able to escape the game unscathed, however. The Vikings lost linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. to a hamstring injury on the fourth defensive snap of the game. The Vikings placed Pace on injured reserve on Tuesday, which means he will miss at least the next four games.
Vikings sign Jamin Davis after placing Ivan Pace Jr. on IR
Minnesota activated outside linebacker Gabriel Murphy from injured reserve and signed linebacker Jamin Davis to their 53-man roster, the team announced.
Davis was selected with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders. He played five games with the Commanders this season before he was released in October. The fourth-year linebacker landed on the Green Bay Packers practice squad before being picked up by Minnesota.
Davis totaled 282 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, seven sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and six passes defensed in 50 career games. He garnered attention during the pre-draft process after recording a 42-inch vertical jump and an unofficial 40-yard dash time of 4.37 seconds at his spectacular Pro Day performance. He was considered to be the second-best linebacker prospect in the class behind Micah Parsons.
The Commanders attempted to use Davis as an edge rusher, but he had success as an off-ball linebacker at the collegiate level. Davis should feel more comfortable in the Vikings’ defensive scheme, but he’ll still have a hard time replacing Pace’s production.
Pace was an integral part of Minnesota’s defense this season. In nine starts this season, the 23-year-old compiled 59 tackles, six tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, three sacks and returned a fumble for his first career touchdown.
Davis will likely split time with Vikings linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, who filled in for Pace’s responsibilities on defense against the Bears.