Donovan Jackson's mentality switching positions midseason at Ohio State makes him a perfect addition to the Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings decided not to trade down in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft and instead selected offensive lineman Donovan Jackson with the 24th overall pick. He was the first selection the Vikings had made at 24th overall since they selected Korey Stringer in the 1995 NFL Draft. The move solidifies the […]

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings decided not to trade down in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft and instead selected offensive lineman Donovan Jackson with the 24th overall pick. He was the first selection the Vikings had made at 24th overall since they selected Korey Stringer in the 1995 NFL Draft.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DI2n26URsxR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading

The move solidifies the offensive line for the long haul, and he became the first guard the Vikings have taken since they selected Hall of Fame guard Randall McDaniel in 1988. The Vikings have needed to improve at guard for years and they have their guy.

youtube placeholder image

Donovan Jackson's mentality sets him apart

What really makes Jackson interesting is the element of versatility. While he was a five-star offensive guard out of Texas, they had to kick him outside to left tackle for the stretch run. After allowing two sacks against Abdul Carter, who the New York Giants selected third overall, Jackson went on a Linsanity run and dominated the entirety of the College Football Playoff, allowing just two pressures and zero quarterback hits.

One of the elements that allowed him to succeed in that realm is the way the Buckeyes built their offensive line: great athletes.

"Yeah, you know, the football changes is one of the beautiful things of that, and defensive line changes. So offensive lines has to change along with that. You know, at Ohio State, we kind of focus on more of the athletic type and then build them up through strength and agility from that point. And so I was blessed enough to come in with both of those aspects. I was able to hit the ground running a little bit. But I had great coaches over there, Coach Fry, Coach Saloni, and Coach Drednow, they helped me out a whole lot, especially in that last year of what we wanted to do in that year. 

"What I learned from that (playing tackle) is just how to block different types of rushers. When you're a guard, you're kind of fighting the phone booth when you attack, or you're kind of going against a guy who is a little bit of a different body type. But you know, every team has their own stack packages, Rush package, and so, you know, regardless, those different rushers can line up on you, whether it be, you know, on top of the center, through all the way to the outside of the tackle. So just being able to learn how to block those type of rushers and be able to decipher what moves they are gonna give me."

You can't teach athleticism, but you can improve on strength and somewhat improve agility by getting your body right and doing drills to improve your feet.

Those made a big impact of how Jackson ended up kicking out to left tackle. He told the story of how that happened.

"Yeah, you know, it was unfortunate the way I got the position with so many of my my brothers getting hurt. But, at the end of the day, I just wanted to help the team win more than anything else. It doesn't matter what my goals are, as long as the team wins, and my goals are set aside.

"They came to me. So our starter, Josh, he went down to Oregon, and our backups, and also went on following in Nebraska and so um, coach, Dan, Coach Ryder, like Coach, you can be saying, like, we believe that we believe that we would have great success if you moved out the tackle. Like, ultimately, they let it sit in my hands. They say, Well, if you do, well, this might happen. If you do bad. You know, this might happen. But I believe that me moving up to tackle, I would feel like we have great success then, say, playing a guy who didn't have a whole lot of experience playing in the starting minutes."

How Jackson kicked outside to tackle came from the coaching staff, and they ended up being right, as the move was arguably the biggest one for them winning a National Championship. However, the biggest takeaway here isn't that. It's the mentality from Jackson.

He cared more about how the team did than himself, which is the exact mentality you want on your roster. That's what players like Justin Jefferson have talked about over his time with the Vikings. It's especially important with a position like offensive line, as they need that kind of cohesiveness and mentality.

The Vikings got a great one in Jackson and he's already proving why.

Related Articles