We’re Good. Vikings Get the Mom Endorsement.
At some point, your mother predicted something about you, had an intuition, or knew something was up, in general, and then you were later disgruntled because she turned out to be right.
We’re Good. Vikings Get the Mom Endorsement.
Don’t kid yourself. That happened.
Well, that scenario applies to the Minnesota Vikings this week, specifically offensive guard Donovan Jackson from Ohio State, the team’s 1st-Round draft pick two weeks ago.
Jackson’s mother, Melanie, said in a video from the Vikings’ social media team that Jackson is meant to be a Viking, so fans can rest easy. He will excel in the long haul as a Viking. Melanie won’t be wrong.
Donovan Jackson’s Parents at U.S. Bank Stadium
The Vikings recently provided a tour of U.S. Bank Stadium for Jackson’s parents, and they weren’t shy about voicing their enjoyment of the facility and Jackson’s fit in Minnesota.
Melanie Jackson said about her son in Minnesota, “Yeah. This works. This totally works. He was supposed to be here. He was supposed to be here. It was supposed to happen. Here. Absolutely.”
Donovan’s father, Todd, added, “I’m blown away. The press conference was amazing. The media administration. The coach. But seeing where he’s going to be playing for who knows however many years, this is home. This is home now. I’m loving this.”
At the end of the brief clip, the son Jackson became a little antsy, telling his mother and father that he wanted to play football right now. The dude doesn’t want to wait until September.
“I just want to, like, start doing stuff now. We gotta wait like two weeks to start doing stuff,” the Vikings’ rookie mentioned.
Here’s the full clip:
The Vikings’ brass treated the Jackson family right, evidenced by the heartwarming clip.
Mother’s Intuition Is Undefeated
Listen, Melanie got the mom feeling. That thing is undefeated. How often has a mother said, “Oh, I feel great about this,” and then turmoil ensued?
Never. That doesn’t happen.
The mom endorsement is a real thing — coveted, even — and Mama Jackson signed off on her son’s NFL whereabouts.
She won’t be wrong. Bookmark this article.
Jackson on Deck as a Day One Starter
Meanwhile, on the football side of operations, Jackson is expected to start right away for the 2025 Vikings. Of course, the franchise still has rookie minicamp — that begins Friday — organized team activities, training camp, the preseason, and roster trimdowns before Week 1, but all signs point to a starting left guard assignment for the 22-year-old Buckeye.
The Vikings had a couple of arguable long-term roster needs entering Round 1 of the draft, including cornerback, safety, and possibly defensive tackle, but general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah refused to trade down, standing pat and selecting Melanie’s boy from the National Champion Buckeyes.
The Vikings hadn’t picked a guard in Round 1 since 1988 — a 37-year armistice. The last man? Randall McDaniel, a Hall of Famer and 12-time Pro Bowler.
Couple Melanie’s infallible clairvoyance with McDaniel’s historical precedent, and the Vikings’ rookie should be cooking with gas.
The Position Flexibility Tidbit
Moreover, Jackson also provided position flexibility. The Buckeyes thrust him into offensive tackle duty last year, and he didn’t disappoint.
The Vikings’ franchise cornerstone left tackle, Christian Darrisaw, is recovering from a busted ACL that he suffered last October, and if his injury lingered or another malady arose, Jackson, in theory, could help out at LT. That’s the perk of drafting him in Round 1.
In all likelihood, Jackson will hop into the left guard role — next to Darrisaw — but his versatility must be noted.
More on Jackson’s Role with Vikings
At our partner site, PurplePTSD.com‘s Janik Eckardt recently sized up Jackson on Minnesota’s depth chart: “Jackson started 40 games in college, 31 of which were at left guard and nine at left tackle, in place of injured starter Josh Simmons. His career at Ohio State ended with the national championship.”
“As always, the rookie has to work on a thing or two to crack the starting lineup because incumbent starter Blake Brandel is still in the mix, but it wouldn’t be shocking one bit to see him be the main left guard by the start of the season in September.”
The Jackson family is from Houston, and the working theory suggests the Texans might’ve scooped him at pick No. 25 — right after the Vikings at No. 24 — if Adofo-Mensah had traded back, a popular theory at the time.
Eckardt added, “The offensive line has been the Achilles’ heel in the Twin Cities for too long. Once Christian Darrisaw is healthy and Jackson usurps Brandel, the line looks fantastic, at least in theory. From left to right, the unit would be: Darrisaw, Jackson, Kelly, Fries, Brian O’Neill.”
“That’s a pair of multiple-time Pro Bowlers, one that should’ve been at a Pro Bowler (Darrisaw), a first-rounder, and an expensive guard. Because of all the investments, the expectations for the unit should be raised.”
The son Jackson will get his wish to “do stuff” this Friday when rookie minicamp opens in Eagan.
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