ESPN Pounds the Table for 2 Vikings Rookies
The Minnesota Vikings added approximately 25 new players over the weekend, replenishing the roster pipeline with youth via the 2025 NFL Draft and subsequent undrafted free agents.
ESPN Pounds the Table for 2 Vikings Rookies
The team had just four picks this year — it’s own doing — so the draft felt a little underwhelming in quantity.
But per quality, well, ESPN’s Field Yates wasn’t afraid to pound the table this week for two Vikings rookies: Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson and Georgia defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins.
Field Yates on Donovan Jackson
After no shortage of analysis and predictions from Vikings fans leading up to the draft, Minnesota opted not to trade out of its No. 24 pick last Thursday and chose Jackson, one of the top offensive guards from the 2025 class.
And Yates loved it.
In an article detailing his favorite rookie selections around the NFL from each round, Yates wrote about Jackson to Minnesota: “I was bullish on Jackson during the predraft process, ranking him No. 20 overall on my board. The appeal for me was his versatility after he starred at both guard and left tackle this past season, as well as his toughness and physicality.”
“The Vikings talked all offseason about being better in the trenches ahead of J.J. McCarthy‘s inaugural season at starting quarterback; they lived up to that promise in free agency and with this selection.”
Jackson’s Role for Vikings in 2025
Unless something rather strange or bad occurs this summer, Jackson should start right away for the 2025 Vikings. He’ll slide nicely into the team’s left guard slot, previously manned by Blake Brandel.
Brandel will likely return to his reserve roots and become one of the NFL’s best backup offensive guards.
Jackson features position flexibility, meaning he could play offensive tackle in a pinch, an interesting factoid as Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw recovers from a torn ACL.
If Jackson doesn’t start this September, it will raise red flags.
Yates High on Ingram-Dawkins, Too
Yates didn’t limit his Vikings-themed praise to Jackson. He unleashed positivity on Georgia’s Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins well, a man Minnesota found in Round 5.
“Ingram-Dawkins was part of a deeply talented Georgia defensive front, so he was infrequently asked to simply focus on the quarterback. That led to just five sacks in the past three seasons, but I like his combination of length, power and versatility. He logged 219 snaps as an edge defender in 2024, and 294 at defensive tackle,” Yates noted.
“Few NFL coordinators use more creativity up front than Brian Flores, who probably believes in Ingram-Dawkins’ multiplicity as a player.”
Most draft heads profiled Ingram-Dawkins as an EDGE rusher, but per initial consensus following the draft and the Vikings’ website, he’ll fit in as a defensive tackle — or at least provide options on the line’s edges and interior.
Ingram-Dawkins’ Trajectory
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s selection of Ingram-Dawkins was about luxury. He needs no EDGE rushers or defensive tackles for 2025. He has Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Harrison Phillips, and Jalen Redmond for those jobs.
Still, the Vikings’ new defensive tackles — Allen and Hargrave — aren’t young, so Ingram-Dawkins can be perceived as a developmental asset for 2026 and beyond.
This brand of Vikings loves position versatility, and Ingram-Dawkins offers it.
What Could Have Been on 2 Others
Yates was also high on Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, who landed with the Arizona Cardinals but could’ve been chose by Minnesota at No. 24. Yates explained his ardor for Johnson in Arizona: “Questions about Johnson’s health saw him fall from the top-20 conversation, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that a knee issue gave teams pause about the former Michigan star.
“Arizona stopped the slide here, with a worthwhile gamble because it needed an outside cornerback. Johnson — who has size, recognition traits and ball skills — was a consideration for the Cardinals in prior mocks of mine. This is a strong value selection even with the health risk.”
And if you read any Vikings mock drafts from February to April, SMU running back Brashard Smith represented a total late-round darling for the purple team.
Yates on Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs: “Smith made the unorthodox decision to move from wide receiver to running back when he transferred from Miami to SMU. But he enjoyed a great season as the Mustangs’ primary back, scoring 18 touchdowns on 235 rushes with 39 catches. The Chiefs will lean into Smith’s impressive run-after-catch skills and speed (4.39 in the 40).”
Vikings rookie minicamp kicks off on May 8th.
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