Vikings Confirm Some Hype as Prized Pickup Gets Starter Reps Early
Maybe the tidbit from Kevin O’Connell shouldn’t come as a major surprise, but the Vikings confirming the hype a bit may nevertheless allow fans to breathe a (small) sigh of relief: No. 24 selection Donovan Jackson is getting reps with the starters.
Kevin O’Connell was chatting about his offensive line while working through questions from the Minnesota media. Very casually, O’Connell indicates that the new left guard is earning some starter reps: “Love to have all five of those guys out there, but Donovan [Jackson] got some great work in there today next to Ryan Kelly.”
Vikings Confirm that Donovan Jackson Gets Starter Reps
Sometimes, coaches retreat back into the all-too-common coach clichés, describing how the youngster needs to earn a coveted spot. Minnesota doesn’t appear super interested in playing those games. Not with Jackson, at least.
If you’re looking for a Jackson cheerleader in the Twin Cities, look no further than Coach O’Connell. The coach who is so well known for his affinity for quarterbacks has spoken highly of Jackson on several occasions (Example 1 & Example 2).
Consider one of the crucial quotes: “Envisioning [Jackson] being on a front with potentially Ryan Kelly and Christian Darrisaw, Will Fries and Brian O’Neill. That’s a pretty formidable group on paper. We’ve got to make it come to life on the grass.” The OTAs nugget is merely a baby step in making that front five “come to life.”
Now, step back and consider what isn’t being said: Donovan Jackson is the locked-in starter for Week 1 and won’t need to compete for the remainder of the summer. By no means is that what’s going on in Minnesota.
In fact, O’Connell was sure to make an effort to get ahead of the hype train, beginning his press conference with an opening preamble directed precisely at that possibility. “As a ultimate reminder,” O’Connell explains, “it is the learning and teaching phase of the offseason program. So, getting out in front of any rep questions, competition questions, tracking of completions and/or handoffs. I’ll go ahead and allow the time of the year to speak for itself.”
At the very end, O’Connell appears to tip his hand a bit: don’t ask if J.J. McCarthy is the starter. The mention of completions and handoffs is a direct reference to what a quarterback is tasked with doing.
Step back a bit more and assess things more broadly to get at what O’Connell is seeking to convey. The Vikings are just barely getting going with their offseason program. Nothing has been written in ink. Pencil is the preferred writing implement in May, so everyone would be wise to remember that the NFL isn’t a static workplace where nothing ever changes.
Keep in mind, as well, that O’Connell’s quick update about Donovan Jackson exists alongside a mention of Blake Brandel putting in work at both left guard and right guard. When Will Fries gets back on the field, Brandel isn’t going to be competing to be the right guard (something about Fries’ near $88 million deal gives the former Colt the upper hand). Rather, Brandel is proving his versatility yet again.
What’s actually going to occur is a competition between Jackson and Brandel to see who is going to be the LG1 in Week 1.
Here’s the thing, though: Kevin O’Connell is trying to undercut overreaction for what’s occurring in May practices — very wisely, I hasten to add — and yet he’s doing so after saying quite a lot about what’s in store for Donovan Jackson.
So, it’s hard not to see the acknowledgement of earning reps alongside Ryan Kelly — the undisputed C1 and a previous barometer for clarifying who is leading the battle to be a starter — as confirmation that the youngster is being viewed as a legit possibility to be in that precise spot when Week 1 arrives.
Last season, Donovan Jackson split his time between left guard and left tackle (as you may have heard), a reality that is far more difficult than it sounds. The 6’4″, 320-pound lineman did a nice job overall, earning a solid 71.8 grade from PFF while helping Ohio State to win a National Championship. He’s in town to be the left guard, but the versatility, compete, work ethic, and selflessness are commendable.
Maybe the main takeaway from O’Connell’s casual update is simply to allow yourself to feel some optimism about Donovan Jackson’s trajectory without going overboard. He has impressed at every stage, and the quick quip about him getting work among the starters is just a tiny shred of evidence to put onto all of the optimism that’s been building since Minnesota made their decision at No. 24 in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
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