Vikings Should Get Decade of Stability from Rookie
Sep 22, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings fans watch as their team plays the Cleveland Browns at Mall of America Field at H.H.H. Metrodome. The Browns win 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports.
No draft prospect is ever a sure thing, but some prospects are seen as safer bets than others. The consensus on the Vikingsā 2025 first-round pick is that they have a safe bet.
VikingsTerritory looks at a rookie prospect who should give the Vikings a decade of stability at one position.
In an article on ESPN, anĀ anonymous NFL executiveĀ said of Donovan Jackson, āYou know why I really like this pick? Heās going to be a solid 10-year starterā¦not sure heās elite, but he will make a few Pro Bowls and be a really good player for a long time.ā That should be music to Vikings fansā ears.
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman D. Jackson (74) hugs offensive line coach Justin Frye in the closing seconds of the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Sure, we all hope to find elite players in the draft, but the potential of 10 years of solidarity in what has been a problem area in Minnesota is not to be sniffed at, and who knows? Perhaps Jackson will rise to the level of an elite guard, but for now, if he can come in and be solid, that will be an upgrade for the Vikings.
The Vikingsā IOL Woes
The IOL has been a problem in Minnesota for a long time, and they finally addressed it in a big way this offseason. As well as drafting Jackson in the first round, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made the signings of Ryan Kelly and Will Fries in free agency āĀ a complete IOL revamp. The Vikingsā OL capitulated in their playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams last season, and head coach Kevin OāConnell has seen enough. Post-match, he pointed to that area as one that needed to improve, and he wasnāt kidding.
Minnesotaās trenches werenāt bad all the time last season, but when they were bad, they were terrible. Hindered by the loss of star left tackle Christian Darrisaw to injury for the second half of the season, the unit struggled in the big moments. The habit of completely whiffing on blocks was all too visible, and they did it more than any other team.
