Vikings Rookie Named a “Lock” to Start in Week 1 of 2025
PFF has been doing a great job breaking down the aftermath of the 2025 NFL Draft, and recently, they paid a nice compliment to the Vikings’ first-round selection, Donovan Jackson, a guard out of Ohio State University.
In a recent piece by the outlet, they named Donovan Jackson as a “virtual lock” to start right away in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL regular season. Jackson was joined on this list by players like Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward, Jacksonville Jaguars WR Travis Hunter, Las Vegas Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty, and New England Patriots T Will Campbell, just to name a few, and give you a sense of the talented group that Jackson is being put into here.
This is an interesting take, seeing as the Vikings’ 2024 starting LG, Blake Brandel, was plenty serviceable last season, especially when standout LT Christian Darrisaw was healthy…unless you ask PFF.
Here are Blake Brandel’s PFF Grades in the year of 2024, and where they rank against the rest of the NFL’s guards:
- 55.2 Overall Grade (99th/136)
- 61.4 Pass Blocking Grade (74th/136)
- 57.9 Run Blocking Grade (90th/136)
Brandel only had one singular game that was rewarded with a PFF grade of above 77.0, and it was their Week 1 domination of the New York Football Giants, where he earned a 91.2 overall grade for the exhibition. This was also only one of the two games that saw him earn a PFF grade of above 68.0, the other one being in Week 16 against the Seattle Seahawks, where he got a 76.2 overall grade.
The rest of his regular games saw him earn one grade in the 60s, eight games in the 50s, and five games in the 40s. Also worth noting:
- Blake Brandel Average PFF Grade WITH Christian Darrisaw on the field: 63.1
- Blake Brandel Average PFF Grade WITHOUT Christian Darrisaw on the field: 54.5
Are PFF grades everything? No, but there is something to be said for the opinion of people who watch every single snap of football that is ever played. The selection of Donovan Jackson makes it clear that the Vikings don’t fully trust Blake Brandel, and it’s understandable.
Yes, he played decently when one of the best left tackles in American football was on the field, but even at the level of play he was displaying, he was still always replaceable and a clear spot that the Vikings could upgrade in some way.
This isn’t to rag on Blake Brandel at all; the dude is a mighty fine and versatile depth piece at the offensive line. However, it’s clear as day that the Vikings saw that his upside as a starter wasn’t there, and so they went with a surefire option in beefing up the offensive line for now and the foreseeable future.
And after what felt like millennia of the Vikings’ consistently stinky interior offensive line, they were very aggressive in rectifying the position group and took no prisoners doing so. Is taking a guard in the first round a flashy pick? No, not at all. Was it the right pick? In a situation where the Vikings were probably going to be right no matter what, yes, it was the right pick.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF helped with this article.
The Vikings Continue to Ignore 1 Position