D Jackson

The pick is growing on me. You could have traded down and got an early four that never sees playing time, and an early second that has no impact. Time will tell. Moving down ten picks is more of a risk than it sounds like sometimes. If we liked him, a couple of mid to late round picks doesn’t offset that, particularly if we can grab a couple extra later in the draft and be super aggressive in college FA and post draft FA.

Here are five things to know about the new Vikings offensive lineman:

1. Accolades at LT
Though tackle wasn't Jackson's usual position at Ohio State, he helped anchor the line through another major injury to an OL starter — Rimington Trophy winner and All-American Seth McLaughlin — and to the CFB title.
Jackson was named a First-Team All-American by The Sporting News, USA Today and Sports Illustrated.

2. Student athlete
Jackson shined not only athletically but also academically throughout his collegiate career.
During his time at Ohio State, he was named a Rose Bowl game Scholar-Athlete, First-Team College Sports Communicators Academic All-American, OSU Scholar-Athlete, Academic All-Big Ten, Dan S. Petty/Cotton Bowl Scholar-Athlete and Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar.
Jackson graduated in December 2024 with his sports industry degree.

3. Champ at all levels
A Texas native, Jackson started as a freshman for Houston Christian High School, playing left tackle, before transferring to Episcopal High School for his final three seasons.
Jackson garnered ample attention at Episcopal and was labeled a five-star recruit; he committed to Ohio State over offers from other major programs that included Georgia, Stanford and Texas.
In 2020, Jackson helped Episcopal win the Southwest Preparatory Conference Championship.

4. Football and family
Jackson has often thanked his parents, Melanie and Todd, and sister, Rachel, for their support throughout his football journey.
In a 2019 Instagram post, he captioned a heartwarming photo at Episcopal's football stadium, "It takes a village."

5. Three Buckeyes at 24
The Vikings have drafted a player 24th overall three different times in franchise history … and on all three occasions selected a Buckeye.
Minnesota tabbed running back Leo Hayden in 1971 and in 1995 drafted tackle Korey Stringer.

Vikings.Com

I feel about Donovan Jackson the way Raiders fans last year likely felt about Brock Bowers after ATL swiped Penix: Lemons into (hopefully) lemonade.

Everyone I'd have taken at 24 was gone except Starks. I'd have preferred Starks, but I guess KOC/Kwesi wanted an immediate starter instead of Starks likely backing up Harry for a year.

That Houston bailed after we took Jackson tells me something.

Charles Davis Breaks Down Donovan Jackson's Game

https://www.vikings.com/video/charles-davis-breaks-down-donovan-jackson-s-game

I didnt realize last pick at 24 we had was Big K...

Talk about serendipity!

30 years later

I am SO HAPPY with this pick. Great pick

Apparently we were looking at him in 2024 in case he declared. 

Philly called looking to trade up per Rappaport.

Solid pick. After Booker and Zabel were gone along with Harmon and Barron the draft lost a bit of luster for me. He can slide in at LT if needed but it sounds like Darrisaw is killing his rehab. This line could be a top 5 line easily. 

Maul of America, engage.

The Minnesota Vikings were never more determined to fix their blocking problems than were this spring, after a 14-win season was ultimately torpedoed by too much interior pressure.

Donovan Jackson became the final piece of the upgrade.

The Vikings made the Ohio State guard the 24th selection in the NFL draft on Thursday night, completing an offseason overhaul of the interior of their offensive line after ignoring an opportunity to trade down and add to their small number of picks.

The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Jackson, who was the third guard taken behind Alabama’s Tyler Booker at No. 12 and North Dakota State’s Gray Zabel at No. 18, was a second-team Associated Press All-American for the national champion Buckeyes.

“He’s got size. He’s got length. He’s got power,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “A lot of things that we’re very excited about.”

Jackson was a three-year starter at left guard who moved to left tackle midway through his senior season after an injury at that position, even though the switch posed a potential risk to his draft stock.

“I just wanted to win,” said Jackson, who allowed only five sacks in 1,293 pass blocking snaps in his college career, according to Pro Football Focus analysis.
AP Sports

𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲
@D_jack78 takes his work ethic and drive to be great for the @Vikings for the next step in his journey ✅
#DevelopedHere 🌰 pic.twitter.com/p3Nk1hsD0Q

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 25, 2025

StickierBuns wrote:
I've been talking OG for the last 3+ weeks, back when it wasn't cool ;)  Booker went 12th....12TH. Zabel as well gone. When you pick 24th, you watch good players go before you pick, that's the Draft. I see some fan angst watching some players selected, but that's the nature of the beast. Nick Saban gushed over the guy, called him the most athletic interior O-lineman in the entire Draft.

Maybe KAM is digging his way out.....fingers crossed.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first round selections since becoming the #Vikings GM:

• Lewis Cine
• Jordan Addison
• JJ McCarthy
• Dallas Turner
• Donovan Jackson

Excellent call. I did a 180 when you first mentioned it because G wasn’t on my radar. It was like a light went on. Changing my position on a draft opinion that abruptly is like stopping a semi doing 90mph.

The draft call that made Donovan Jackson a Minnesota Viking!

🎥: @Vikings via IG pic.twitter.com/mx47vf5Jma

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) April 25, 2025

pic.twitter.com/CyqiW6rx6g

— Three Tech Pod 🎙 (@ThreeTechPod) April 25, 2025

Idc what anybody says... this is AURA pic.twitter.com/kV4qXPow14

— cody ♱ (@codyy11_) April 25, 2025

Mocks had us taking Booker but as the draft played out, I thought he wouldn't be there. He was long gone. Jackson is an excellent choice. I know they could have gone cb, rb or wr but I am happy with OL. LFG

Ohio State LT Donovan Jackson (📈) continues to be the unsung MVP for this team. Zero pressures allowed vs. UT.

In 3 Playoff Games (175 snaps vs. 3 very good DLs)
Pressures: 1
Sacks: 0
Penalties: 0 pic.twitter.com/5yw62gAvKg

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 11, 2025

DONOVAN JACKSON, Ohio State (6-3 ½, 315, no 40, 2): Five-star recruit in 2021 rated as the No. 1 guard in the U.S. and the No. 1 player in Texas. “He’s good, man, he’s good,” said one scout. “I couldn’t believe it when he went out there and played tackle and really held his own. I have him as a second-round pick as a left tackle and a Pro Bowl player as a guard. He can do it all. He’s going to start Day 1 and play a long time. He would survive at left tackle; I don’t think he would thrive. He’ll thrive as a guard.” Experienced starter at left guard moved to left tackle down the stretch in 2024 after Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury and the Buckeyes’ second option didn’t reach fruition. “He’s one of the best run blockers I’ve seen in a long, long time,” another scout said. “I wouldn’t say pancake but he can drive you off the line of scrimmage. He’ll stick and stay with you. Latch onto you. I’m not saying he’s a Hall of Famer but you don’t see guys run block like he does. I’d take him as a guard late one.” Arms were 33 ½, hands were 9 7/8. “More of a third-rounder,” a third scout said. “In-line player only. He’s a power-scheme guy. He’s tough and physical, uses his length well, smart, got good power. He’s like really slue-footed. Kind of a clunky mover, and I thought he was on the ground way too much. He’s good enough to be a starter but he’s not a wow guy.” From Bellaire, Texas.

Moments like these 🥹 >>
@D_jack78 x @Vikings pic.twitter.com/QsqbN5K6k0

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 25, 2025

JustInTime wrote:
Apparently we were looking at him in 2024 in case he declared. 

Philly called looking to trade up per Rappaport.

Solid pick. After Booker and Zabel were gone along with Harmon and Barron the draft lost a bit of luster for me. He can slide in at LT if needed but it sounds like Darrisaw is killing his rehab. This line could be a top 5 line easily. 

Maul of America, engage.

That's where I was at by 24 as well...I do wonder what they would have done if Hampton was still on the board?

I like the Jackson fit here better than Booker. Plus there is a perfect serendipity drafting Jackson at #24, 30 years after drafting Big K at that same spot. 

OG is not a sexy pick, but I feel fortunate we got him as late as we did. I'm at peace with it. 

Of the guys drafted after him? Starks, Pearce Jr and Campbell were the ones that might have tempted me.

I don't watch ESPN, but apparently they didn't talk about or show highlights of Donovan Jackson at all and spent Jackson's time slobbering all over Shedeur Sanders. This has been a pet peeve of mine for 30 years. It's true for both channels and it will get worse on day three. Just a heads up to these twat waffles: we want to know who the picks are and what you think of them. Not yet another human interest story or the 12th recap of the top 10 picks catered to the "casual fan." Here's a clue: on days two and three, casual fans are no longer watching. Focus on the picks.

The Vikings, drafting 24th, added another block to the offensive line project they began during the offseason.

Rather than trading back in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night, the Vikings stayed at No. 24, making their third high-profile addition of the offseason to the position that Kevin O’Connell pointedly said they needed to upgrade after their playoff loss to the Rams.

Jackson’s ability, and willingness, to switch positions in the middle of Ohio State’s championship run stuck out to the Vikings, General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said Thursday night. They had scouted Jackson in 2024, believing he might decide to leave school early. This year, they brought him to Minnesota on a top-30 prospect visit, where Jackson said he watched film with O’Connell.

“We turned on the tape, and he basically asked me my reasoning between my plays,” Jackson said. “Whether it was good, bad or in between, he just wanted to hear my thought process and how I saw the game. We just talked over ball, so he could see how I could verbalize knowledge back to him.”

On Thursday, the Vikings took Jackson instead of consummating any of the trades they were offered.

The Texans and Rams, the two teams picking after the Vikings, traded their picks to the Giants and Falcons, respectively. Adofo-Mensah said talks heated up right before they picked. Instead of dealing back, they stayed at No. 24 to make Jackson the fifth offensive linemen they’ve taken in the first two rounds since 2018.

”I think the mindset is, ‘If the play is to hit the ball down the fairway, let’s go do that,” Adofo-Mensah said. “If it’s gonna be four picks of four positions that we really want, four great character people, or skill sets we require, let’s go do that and we’ll figure everything else out.”

While tackles Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw are signed to long-term contracts, the Vikings’ interior offensive line merited revisiting. 

They traded 2022 second-rounder Ed Ingram to Houston this offseason, and released 2019 first-round pick Garrett Bradbury after six seasons, following their deal with Kelly.

At the NFL owners’ meetings last month, coach Kevin O’Connell alluded to the possibility the Vikings would bring in competition for Blake Brandel at left guard; the fact they used their first-round pick on a guard for the first time since they selected Randall McDaniel in 1988 would suggest Jackson might not have to wait long to start.

The Rams overwhelmed the middle of the Vikings’ line in their 27-9 wild-card win on Jan. 13, sacking Sam Darnold nine times to tie an NFL playoff record. After the game, O’Connell didn’t mince words, saying, “There’s no question that we got to be able to find a way to give a quarterback .

“Especially with players like Jordan , Justin , T.J. , we got to find a way to solidify the interior of the pocket, first and foremost.”

The Vikings paid nearly $88 million for Fries, who had interest from multiple teams, after signing Kelly to replace Bradbury. The price of the guard market indicated the value at the position, Adofo-Mensah said, especially as teams look for ways to counter dynamic interior pass rushers.

The decision to stay and pick Jackson on Thursday night indicated how committed the Vikings were to finishing the offensive line overhaul. With second-year J.J. McCarthy likely to start at quarterback for the first time in his NFL career, the Vikings will give their young passer an offensive front they hope is significantly upgraded from the one that contributed to their playoff loss in January.

“I mean, I think that’s important,” Adofo-Mensah said. “When we go into these meetings, ‘When in doubt, support the young quarterback’ is not something we talk about.

But also, great offensive lines are team lifters. You know, they control the ball, they keep your defense fresh. They establish a play style, a demeanor, that we want to be about. The quarterback is always something you . You should be a quarterback-driven organization. That’s something you should think about. But it’s also other things.”

O’Connell said the plan to rework the offensive line wasn’t a direct reaction to the playoff loss, and there were indications during the 2024 season the Vikings would pursue offensive line help regardless of how the year ended. If anything, though, the Rams game further underscored the need for changes on the front.

After years of minimal investments at guard, the Vikings spent $88 million to fix one spot and a first-round pick on the other. The prime directive of their offseason was as clear as ever on Thursday night.

“It’s exciting to draw routes up on a board, and come up with new ideas; that stuff’s been great, and we’ve done a lot of really good things here,” O’Connell said. “But time and time again, you continue to think about the ability to get that yard, the ability to go be physical in every game you play, regardless of the opponent. The ability to have a collection of five guys up front, playing as one, with the type of skill sets and physical ability we have now, gives me really good feelings about what we can be, not only this year, but beyond.”

Startribune

purplefaithful wrote:
“It’s exciting to draw routes up on a board, and come up with new ideas; that stuff’s been great, and we’ve done a lot of really good things here,” O’Connell said. “But time and time again, you continue to think about the ability to get that yard, the ability to go be physical in every game you play, regardless of the opponent. The ability to have a collection of five guys up front, playing as one, with the type of skill sets and physical ability we have now, gives me really good feelings about what we can be, not only this year, but beyond.”

Inject that right into my veins. More time for the slow-developing routes, more power for red-zone possessions and 4th quarter game-ending drives. Vikings should be able to win in a variety of ways now.

@"MaroonBells" LETS FUGGING GO!!!! We got a hell of a player. I am fine with it at 24. Bet the Texans would have taken him a pick later if we traded out.

Canthony wrote:
@"MaroonBells" LETS FUGGING GO!!!! We got a hell of a player. I am fine with it at 24. Bet the Texans would have taken him a pick later if we traded out.

I know the Texans were high on him, so you may be right.

Eight offensive linemen were selected as teams continued to realize their glorified QBs are mincemeat without the grunts to provide proper protection (see: Vikings’ nine sacks allowed in upset playoff loss to the Rams).

At No. 24, the Vikings took Ohio State left guard Donovan Jackson, one of four Buckeyes selected, in a high-value decision that gives them a clean sweep of a woeful trio of interior linemen that turned a 14-win team into a pretender in a span of eight days in January.

Quarterback J.J. McCarthy certainly has to be smiling at the investment.

New England’s Drake Maye, who got left tackle Will Campbell of LSU at No. 4, and Washington’s Jayden Daniels, who got left tackle Josh Simmons of Ohio State 32nd overall, are two other QBs from the Class of 2024 smiling this morning.

One interesting thing I'm just now remembering. In a podcast the other day, Bob McGinn was asked who his favorite player was in the whole draft. He said Donovan Jackson.