Donovan Jackson
I thought the kid came in and had an admirable rook season...How high is up for Jackson?
Rookie Season Performance
Pass Protection: Performed well as a rookie, earning a 65.7 Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade (ranking 26th among qualified guards) and allowing just 2 sacks over 468 pass-block snaps.
Sports Illustrated +1
Run Blocking: Showed room for growth, finishing with a 57.2 run-blocking grade while missing three games mid-season due to wrist and ankle injuries.
Sports Illustrated +2
Accolades: Named by Pro Football Focus as the Minnesota Vikings most impactful rookie for the 2025 season after finishing strong and not allowing a sack in his final nine games.
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
Offensive linemen often make significant improvement from the first to second year. I know his head is in the right place and he had a pretty good first year for a rookie. I expect he will be very good for a long time if he remains healthy.
Donovan Jackson is a stud! 10-year guard for sure. He was a big guy on my radar in round 1 last year. MB even called the shot. I had him in many mocks with a trade down. We couldn't have traded down, however. The Texans were going to pick him and traded out once he wasn't there. Or that is what I believe. Jackson IS the real deal. We have a great one. Yeah, I said great.
He's a dude that is sticky, maintains blocks. Played with that wrist injury, which you can imagine is painful when you're job is to pop D-linemen. Dense and uses his mass very well....the dude is 6'4" but he looks shorter which just shows how thick his frame is. Said his head was swimming last year, much more comfortable this year.
I think the O-line this year, from starters to backups, is in the best shape its been in in awhile. Brandel is the only quasi-question mark but I think will be fine. You can't have consistent QB1 play with out this good foundation.....good luck finding K1 behind this line, opposing defenses....could be halfway to Edina before they realize it.
Lots of positives going into the season with the O-line. Darrisaw healty, Fries healthy, Jackson year two stud, Oneal paid.. Brandel seems to be the question mark.. Oh ya they have Oliver, Jennings, Max blocking also.
Checking in on 2025 first-round pick Donovan Jackson
We've talked and written quite a bit about various members of the Vikings' offensive line through the early part of training camp.
One person we haven't touched on a ton yet? Second-year left guard Donovan Jackson.
Jackson is one of the four returning starters on the Vikings' OL. He started 14 games, missing three due to injury, during his rookie campaign after the Vikings drafted him No. 24 overall in 2025.
Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said Wednesday that the next step for Jackson entering Year 2 is just continuing to lock down his footwork, technique and fundamentals.
"One false step could be the difference between you making the block or a sack or a negative in the run game," Phillips said. "Donovan's a very smart player. He doesn't make the same mistakes twice, so I just expect him to continue to progress and grow as a player. Really happy with where he's at."
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
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