The Vikings Found “Essential Building Block” for the Future
The next three games will be used to evaluate personnel for the future, as the Minnesota Vikings cannot reach the postseason. And according to NFL.com, the purple team has an “essential building block” in left guard Donovan Jackson, the man picked by the Vikings in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Minnesota has spent a decade cycling through interior answers, so any sign of stability at guard lands differently — especially with the offense built to run through protection.
Jackson has remained consistent as a rookie to date, and looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, Minnesota won’t need shop for guards anytime soon.
Donovan Jackson Is Trending as a Long-Term Answer at Guard
Alas, the Vikings hit on a guard. Prayers were answered.
NFL.com Calls Jackson an “Essential Building Block”
Bucky Brooks of NFL.com assigned grades for all Round 1 rookies through 78% of their first seasons, and when he arrived at Jackson, Brooks gave Jackson a B-.
He explained, “Grade: B-. The first-year starter suffered through a bumpy start before emerging as a solid guard on a revamped offensive front. Although the Vikings’ record does not reflect his impact, Jackson is an essential building block on the line of scrimmage.”
One might suggest a B- grade is a bit low for an “essential building block,” but that’s the ruling from Brooks.
The Statistical Skinny
Jackson has a 58.2 Pro Football Focus grade after 15 weeks, not setting the world on fire per that metric. His 62.4 pass-blocking grade, though, is more encouraging.
He’s also surrendered just 2 sacks and 4 quarterback hits, a commendable stat line for a player with 613 offensive snaps to his name. Jackson will need to clean up the 4 penalties as he hits his groove, and his 21 pressures allowed rank 39th in the NFL among all interior offensive linemen.
Oddly, Jackson’s two best games as a rookie have occurred against the Chicago Bears, topping PFF’s 70.0 mark on both occasions.
Long Overdue Outcome
My, oh my, have the Vikings searched long and hard for a longstanding guard fix.
Throughout most of the Mike Zimmer era (2014 to 2021), Minnesota, for some reason, deprioritized guard play, so much so that fans made memes about the situation and posted them to social media. Free-agent solutions like Dalton Risner were beloved because at least they showed the franchise gave a damn about interior offensive linemen.
Here’s a list of guards from the last decade that never quite showed the promise currently held by Jackson:
- Alex Boone
- Wyatt Davis
- Dakota Dozier
- Nick Easton
- Pat Elflein
- Danny Isidora
- Brandon Fusco
- Mike Harris
- Ed Ingram
- Mike Remmers
- Dru Samia
- Austin Schlottman
- Oli Udoh
If you wonder why Jackson trending in the right direction is a big deal, re-scan the list above.
Injuries the Only Concern?
While probably a nitpicky topic, Jackson has missed three games out of the gate in young career, even having surgery back in September.
He’s a frequent inhabitant of the weekly injury reports, but thankfully for his and the team’s sake, Jackson is usually cleared to play on Sundays. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has commented on Jackson’s toughness throughout the season.
Still, Jackson has missed 23% of games to date, and while that won’t necessarily happen in the upcoming seasons, it’s worth noting that injuries prevented him from a full rookie campaign.
More Jackson Perspective from PurplePTSD
Our Janik Eckardt wrote about Jackson last week, “Especially impressive has been Jackson’s toughness. The 24th overall pick missed a couple of games earlier in the season after undergoing wrist surgery. Once he was ready to return a few weeks later, Jackson revealed he had decided to postpone the surgery by a week so he could play in another contest despite the injury.”
“The next steps in Jackson’s development are obvious: The first-year NFLer needs to stay healthy and has to be more consistent in the passing game. In the running game, Jackson has been phenomenal, but the occasional mess-up in the passing game has been there on tape.”
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has struggled with the basic task of drafting good players, but Jackson, as a hit, suggests an upward trend for the top boss, in addition to players like Jordan Addison, Dallas Turner, and perhaps J.J. McCarthy.
Eckardt continued, “That, of course, isn’t too unusual for rookie blockers, and the lack of continuity along the line throughout the season can’t be overlooked for such a young player. Jackson has played in ten of the team’s 13 games. Others might have missed more with the same injuries, but it’s always concerning when the stints on the sidelines pile up.”
“Regardless, Jackson has already shown that he was a solid draft pick. Considering most offensive linemen need a year or two to prepare their bodies for NFL competition, the next season could be an exciting one for the 23-year-old.”
Minnesota needs a long-term OG solution. They probably have one in Donovan Jackson. The long Midwest nightmare appears to be over.
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