Donovan Jackson Already Getting Praise from NFL Coaches
It hasn’t even been two months since the Minnesota Vikings selected Ohio State offensive guard Donovan Jackson with the 24th selection in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but apparently, he may already have at least one fan from a differing organization to the one that called his name on draft night in the Twin Cities.
Jeremy Fowler dropped some literature for the beloved Worldwide Leader in Sports, ESPN, in a new piece recently. The piece detailed some favorite offseason moves of various anonymous NFL personnel, and our dear, sweet Donovan Jackson sounds like the apple of one anonymous coordinator’s eye:
“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.”
No one put a gun to this guy’s head and made him have to include the part where he doesn’t think Donovan Jackson will be “elite,” but there was no firearm involved in the complimentary part of the take either.
Whoever this anonymous coordinator is knows ball, and hopefully over the next ten years, the young, soft-spoken, gentle giant will prove this shadow man correct.
Should anyone be shocked that Donovan Jackson is getting this love from around the league already? As a Vikings fan, no. I choose to believe that he’s already the best left guard in the entire NFL because this is a free country, and I can do whatever I want. However, if you’re a reasonable person and don’t think that way, then you still shouldn’t act surprised.
Not only was Donovan Jackson a dominant offensive guard for the Ohio State Buckeyes, when left tackle Josh Simmons (drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 32nd pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft) went down with a torn patellar tendon in a game against the Oregon Ducks in October of 2024, Jackson took over.
When Donovan Jackson was asked why he accepted the move to left tackle when his team needed him, he said this:
“At the end of the day, I just like winning more than anything else.”
Tell me that doesn’t rock and make you want to run through a double-layered brick wall.
At the end of the day, Jackson will likely end up being a career guard if he is to stick with the Minnesota Vikings for the long haul, as Christian Darrisaw is the franchise’s long-term feature left tackle. It is important to note that Brian O’Neill isn’t getting any younger, though it is unlikely Minnesota would put Jackson through a switch of that magnitude that late into his career.
