{"id":21859,"date":"2025-05-04T00:22:38","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T00:22:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/21859\/"},"modified":"2025-05-04T00:22:38","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T00:22:38","slug":"vikings-rookie-named-a-lock-to-start-in-week-1-of-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/21859\/","title":{"rendered":"Vikings Rookie Named a “Lock” to Start in Week 1 of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) celebrates a touchdown by TreVeyon Henderson during the NCAA football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. Ohio State won 38-15.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

PFF has been doing a great job breaking down the aftermath of the 2025 NFL Draft<\/a>, and recently, they paid a nice compliment to the Vikings\u2019 first-round selection, Donovan Jackson, a guard out of Ohio State University.<\/p>\n

In a recent piece<\/a> by the outlet, they named Donovan Jackson as a \u201cvirtual lock\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"Mar 2, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (OL20) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

This is an interesting take, seeing as the Vikings\u2019 2024 starting LG, Blake Brandel<\/a>, was plenty serviceable last season, especially when standout LT Christian Darrisaw was healthy\u2026unless you ask PFF.<\/p>\n

Here are Blake Brandel\u2019s PFF Grades in the year of 2024, and where they rank against the rest of the NFL\u2019s guards:<\/p>\n

55.2 Overall Grade (99th\/136)<\/p>\n

61.4 Pass Blocking Grade (74th\/136)<\/p>\n

57.9 Run Blocking Grade (90th\/136)<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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:<\/p>\n

Blake Brandel Average PFF Grade WITH Christian Darrisaw on the field: 63.1<\/p>\n

Blake Brandel Average PFF Grade WITHOUT Christian Darrisaw on the field: 54.5<\/p>\n

\"VikingsNov 10, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Minnesota Vikings guard Blake Brandel (64) before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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\u2019t fully trust Blake Brandel, and it\u2019s understandable. <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t to rag on Blake Brandel at all; the dude is a mighty fine and versatile depth piece at the offensive line. However, it\u2019s clear as day that the Vikings saw that his upside as a starter wasn\u2019t there, and so they went with a surefire option in beefing up the offensive line for now and the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

\"\"Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) pushes offensive lineman Josh Fryar while running a drill during the pro day for NFL scouts at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on March 26, 2025.<\/p>\n

And after what felt like millennia of the Vikings\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: Information from\u00a0PFF<\/a> helped with this article.<\/p>\n

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