Whenever an offensive lineman is drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, it can be met with a yawn from fans. However, when the teams and the front offices look at them, they are seen as building blocks towards the bigger picture.
That bigger picture includes running lanes and keeping a quarterback’s jersey clean, like infrastructure spending.
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The Vikings made a pick like that in April when they selected Donovan Jackson, the Ohio State guard, with the 24th overall pick. Other players on the board could have been more exciting, but Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell knew they wanted J.J. McCarthy to have every reason to succeed.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently reported it wasn’t just people within the Vikings facility who were fans of the pick, but also people outside of it. He revealed when speaking with an anonymous NFL coordinator that he described Jackson as, “You know why I really like this pick? He’s going to be a solid 10-year starter. Not sure he’s elite, but he will make a few Pro Bowls and be a really good player for a long time.”
Jackson joins Ryan Kelly and Will Fries as new starters within the interior of the Vikings’ offensive line in 2024.
Jackson’s projection as a 10-year starter fits in with the Vikings’ view of McCarthy as their long-term quarterback answer. We rarely see Buckeyes and Wolverines work well together, but these two will put those allegiances aside for their Super Bowl aspirations.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: NFL coordinator praises Vikings draft selection as ’10-year starter’