Vikings Fulfill the Fans’ Dream in the Draft
Many, perhaps even most, expected the Minnesota Vikings to trade out of their first draft slot, but GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah kept the 24th draft pick instead. He continued to bolster the trenches after signing four pricey offensive and defensive linemen in free agency.
Vikings Fulfill the Fans’ Dream in the Draft
The newest Viking is Ohio State’s guard, Donovan Jackson.
Jackson starred at Ohio State, starting in the last three seasons of his four-year career. He played left guard for the first two-and-a-half campaigns and then moved to left tackle when his wingman, Josh Simmons, suffered a knee injury. That worked well for him and the Buckeyes, finishing his college career with a national championship.
PFF wrote about him in his draft profile, “Jackson was the top interior offensive line recruit in the nation in 2021 and certainly didn’t disappoint during his time in Columbus. He earned three First-Team All-Big Ten selections, including in 2024 when he moved to left tackle during the team’s final nine games and performed admirably.”
The Vikings are set at tackle once Christian Darrisaw returns from his torn ACL. Jackson will play guard.
“Jackson has a high floor with an ideal guard build and enough consistency to project as an NFL starter. While he isn’t always the most dominant player on the field, his combination of footwork and technique could help just about any team looking for a starting-caliber guard.”
The Vikings had already moved on from center Garrett Bradbury and right guards Dalton Risner and Ed Ingram by acquiring Will Fries and Ryan Kelly in free agency. The two former Colts blockers should provide a massive upgrade.
But Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell didn’t stop there and finished the complete overhaul in the draft.
After the playoff loss, O’Connell stepped in front of a mic and addressed the lack of protection: “There’s no question we’ve got to find a way to be able to give a quarterback, especially with players like Justin (Jefferson), Jordan (Addison), T.J. (Hockenson), we’ve got to find a way to solidify just the interior of the pocket. There can be a thousand excuses made, whether it’s losing [Christian Darrisaw], or even midway through the game losing [Brian O’Neill] tonight, but for me, it’s the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we’re going to have to take a long look at.”
Returning left guard Blake Brandel can’t be too happy about it because teams don’t select first-round guards to let them sit on the bench, especially those who were standouts at blue blood schools.
More happy will be the running back duo of Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, as well as quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Skol Nation has dreamt about a line like this for years.
- Christian Darrisaw
- Donovan Jackson
- Ryan Kelly
- Will Fries
- Brian O’Neill
ESPN analyst Field Yates praised the pick via social media, “Donovan Jackson to the Vikings just might be my favorite pick of the night. By the end of this past season, he had put on elite tape at both guard AND left tackle. An extremely dependable, selfless player. He’s tough, rugged and athletic. Excellent football player.”
A popular player in mock drafts lands in the Twin Cities. Jackson is 22 years old and could be a long-term cornerstone on Minnesota’s offensive line.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference CFB helped with this article.
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