Vikings Should Get Decade of Stability from Rookie
No draft prospect is ever a sure thing, but some prospects are seen as safer bets than others. The consensus on the Vikings’ 2025 first-round pick is that they have a safe bet.
VikingsTerritory looks at a rookie prospect who should give the Vikings a decade of stability at one position.
In an article on ESPN, an anonymous NFL executive said of Donovan Jackson, “You know why I really like this pick? He’s going to be a solid 10-year starter…not sure he’s elite, but he will make a few Pro Bowls and be a really good player for a long time.” That should be music to Vikings fans’ ears.
Sure, we all hope to find elite players in the draft, but the potential of 10 years of solidarity in what has been a problem area in Minnesota is not to be sniffed at, and who knows? Perhaps Jackson will rise to the level of an elite guard, but for now, if he can come in and be solid, that will be an upgrade for the Vikings.
The Vikings’ IOL Woes
The IOL has been a problem in Minnesota for a long time, and they finally addressed it in a big way this offseason. As well as drafting Jackson in the first round, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made the signings of Ryan Kelly and Will Fries in free agency — a complete IOL revamp. The Vikings’ OL capitulated in their playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams last season, and head coach Kevin O’Connell has seen enough. Post-match, he pointed to that area as one that needed to improve, and he wasn’t kidding.
Minnesota’s trenches weren’t bad all the time last season, but when they were bad, they were terrible. Hindered by the loss of star left tackle Christian Darrisaw to injury for the second half of the season, the unit struggled in the big moments. The habit of completely whiffing on blocks was all too visible, and they did it more than any other team.
Now departed former center, Garrett Bradbury, led all interior linemen in blown blocks with a whopping 43. Left guard Blake Brandel, who Jackson will replace, was not far behind, ranking 9th among interior offensive linemen in blown blocks with 30. If you combine Ed Ingram and Dalton Risner, who started 9 and 8 games at right guard, respectively, they had a total of 33 blown blocks.
When you see those figures, it is no surprise that the Vikings chose to change the interior completely. With two good tackles in Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, if they can get the interior right, they will have a dominant OL.
What Does Jackson Bring to the Table?
What makes Jackson potentially a 10-year solution at guard? We start with his will to win. In his draft year, he moved out of position to left tackle because it was best for his team after the starter got injured. It could have gone wrong and had a detrimental effect on his draft stock, but instead, he proved he had the versatility and could move outside and be serviceable.
The reward was helping Ohio State to the national championship and becoming a first-round draft pick.
Jackson has guard size at 6’4″ and 315 lbs, with good play strength and mobility to create run lanes, as well as a strong anchor in pass protection. He doesn’t arrive in Minnesota as the finished article and will need good coaching to polish certain areas, such as maintaining leverage and finishing plays. However, Jackson has all the raw tools to be a long-time success in the NFL, hopefully a decade-long one in Vikings purple.
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