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Ivan Pace Jr. #0 of the Minnesota Vikings tackles Jake Browning #6 of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Minnesota Vikings selected Cincinnati LB Jake Golday with the 51st selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Golday will likely be an off-ball linebacker, playing a similar role as Eric Wilson for a majority of snaps down the line. Early in his career, Golday will hypothetically be a rotational backer, playing all around the front-seven.
He’s a very athletic dude, who not only played off-ball linebacker, but played edge rusher for a good while as well. He compares very close athletically to Andrew Van Ginkel, who has been an absolute game-wrecker during his Vikings tenure.
All of these hopeful possibilities for Jake Golday may be bad news for one current beloved Viking.
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 08: Defensive coordinator Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings talks with Ivan Pace Jr. #0 against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 08, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Alec Lewis of The Athletic recently touched on Golday’s place on the Vikings and what it could mean for Pace Jr.’s roster spot.
“The Vikings view Golday as an Andrew Van Ginkel understudy, but they won’t force him into that role. In the short term, he will spend his time with the off-ball linebackers, able to fill in for Cashman or Wilson in the event of injury. Pace’s pass-rush potential keeps him in the fold, but Flores prefers not to play him on passing downs.
The durability of this group will play a prominent role in the defense’s overall success.”
The Vikings hit Ivan Pace Jr. with a low-tender this offseason. He was an RFA, but since the Vikings exercised the tender, they have his rights. If another team was to match his roughly $3 million salary, then he would’ve been added to their roster.
That didn’t happen, and for now, Ivan Pace Jr. remains a Minnesota Viking.
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – AUGUST 09: Lucky Jackson #81 of the Minnesota Vikings is tackled by Tremon Smith #11 of the Houston Texans in the second quarter during the NFL Preseason 2025 game between Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 09, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Adam Patrick of The Viking Age wrote on former Vikings WR Lucky Jackson signing with the Detroit Lions.
“After spending most of the 2025 NFL season without a team, Jackson took his talents back to the developmental level and signed with the Louisville Kings this past February. It turned out to be a great decision, as Jackson finished the 2026 UFL campaign with 36 catches for 430 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games (including the playoffs).
His performance was clearly good enough to convince the Lions to sign him, and now, for the fourth year in a row, he’ll get to see if he can finally enter a season as an active member of an NFL roster.”
Jackson could be a great comeback story for the NFL. The rough thing for Vikings fans if that happens is that it would have to be with the Detroit Lions. Minnesota is probably fine with this, however. There’s not much to be jealous of when your starting receiver trio consists of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings.
Brevan Bane Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the VikesNow YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane
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