Vikings Found an “Essential Building Block”
Ahead of April’s NFL Draft, Skol Nation wondered whether Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would bolster the secondary, complete the offensive line overhaul, or surprise folks. Ultimately, Donovan Jackson joined the club as the first offensive guard drafted in the first round by the franchise since 1988.
Donovan Jackson Has Been Solid
Drafting guards early is somewhat controversial, as the interior offensive line isn’t considered a “premium position.” Jackson arrived from the national champions Ohio State and immediately got the starting job over incumbent starter Blake Brandel.
A couple of injuries have cost him three games, but when available, Jackson has shown enough promise for fans to feel good about the pick.
NFL analyst Bucky Brooks graded all the first-round picks and Jackson received a B- for his first three quarters of a season. Brooks wrote, “The first-year starter suffered through a bumpy start before emerging as a solid guard on a revamped offensive front. Although the Vikings’ record does not reflect his impact, Jackson is an essential building block on the line of scrimmage.”
He wasn’t a disaster early in the season by any means, but there were certainly some growing pains. Recently, however, Jackson has looked like someone who might just start for a decade at the left guard position.
The Toughness Stands Out
Especially impressive has been Jackson’s toughness. The 24th overall pick missed a couple of games earlier in the season after undergoing wrist surgery. Once he was ready to return a few weeks later, Jackson revealed he had decided to postpone the surgery by a week so he could play in another contest despite the injury.
“Couldn’t get any worse, that was my mindset. I was told that, yeah, it was a significant injury in terms of wrists, but they said, ‘Well, if you brace it up, you won’t have to get surgery at least for like another week.’ So I was like, ‘Oh, so I can play the game?’ They’re like, ‘Well, we don’t recommend it.’ I was like, ‘No, you said another week. I’ll be fine.’ So, played the game, did what I could to the best of my abilities, and then I was on a plane that same night.”
That allowed Jackson to use the bye week after the Europe trip as an additional recovery time while competing in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. That day, he didn’t play flawlessly, but nobody would’ve known about the injury from just watching that tape.
Just last week, Jackson returned in time for the Commanders’ matchup after sitting out the previous game. Head coach Kevin O’Connell praised his rookie, “For having worked through an injury that might hold guys out for a couple weeks, two, three weeks maybe. He would not be denied playing in the football game. Did everything he possibly could and then played well.”
The Next Steps
The next steps in Jackson’s development are obvious: The first-year NFLer needs to stay healthy and has to be more consistent in the passing game.
In the running game, Jackson has been phenomenal, but the occasional mess-up in the passing game has been there on tape. That, of course, isn’t too unusual for rookie blockers, and the lack of continuity along the line throughout the season can’t be overlooked for such a young player.
Jackson has played in ten of the team’s 13 games. Others might have missed more with the same injuries, but it’s always concerning when the stints on the sidelines pile up.
Regardless, Jackson has already shown that he was a solid draft pick. Considering most offensive linemen need a year or two to prepare their bodies for NFL competition, the next season could be an exciting one for the 23-year-old. On Sunday, Cowboys defender Quinnen Williams will be a nice test.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.