Vikings continue to value culture in NFL draft with praise of Donovan Jackson’s selflessness

By Canadian Press on April 26, 2025.

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings had Donovan Jackson on their radar last year when he was considering entering the NFL draft, before he opted to return to Ohio State for his senior season.

Their interest in the 6-foot-4, 315-pound left guard was further piqued during Jackson’s contribution to the Buckeyes on their way to the national championship, and not just for his ability and performance.

An injury at left tackle created a need for Jackson to slide over, but coach Ryan Day left the decision up to him. Playing an unnatural position on the fly, after all, posed a risk of devaluing his draft stock. But Jackson embraced the switch, valuing the greater good over his individual professional development with a team-first attitude that solidified Minnesota’s faith in him as a first-round pick.

The Vikings took Jackson with the 24th overall selection on Thursday, ignoring opportunities to move down and add to their pick total for the certainty of plugging him in as the last piece of their offseason overhaul of the interior of the offensive line.

“We say the word ‘selfless’ often, and I think ’selfless’ is a word we all like to say about ourselves, but selfless in action — you’re talking about everything on the line for his personal future,” Vikings general manager Kwesi-Adofo Mensah said. “What he did for his team, and it resulted in a national championship run, is something that he should be proud of as a player and something that we’re proud to bring to this organization.”

That type of mindset has been a priority for the Vikings under Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell, who arrived three years ago. Culture has become an easy-to-use corporate buzzword, but it can impact success. Their 14-win season in 2024 was clearly aided by strong chemistry that the front office and coaching staff helped procure through their intentional process of evaluating players. The key, of course, is to add them without sacrificing for talent.

The way Jackson performed at tackle, facing the third overall pick in this draft, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, in his first start, made it obvious he can play at a high level.

“That was kind of exciting for me to get to see that and be like, ‘Yeah, that was the kind of athlete I really believed was under the hood,” Adofo-Mensah said. “We’re excited about the palette of the player we got.”

Jackson has a matter-of-fact view of his position switch, which came with some bonus experience that ought to help him with his NFL transition.

“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,” Jackson said. “But what I learned from that is just how to block different types of rushers. When you’re a guard, you kind of fight in a phone booth. When you’re a tackle, you’re kind of going against a guy who is a little bit of a different body type.”

Felton presents speedy option at wide receiver and on special teams

The Vikings didn’t pick again after Jackson until No. 102, a late spot in the third round on Friday after moving down in a swap with Houston, but they found valuable depth with Maryland wide receiver Tai Felton. He led the Big Ten with 96 catches and 1,124 receiving yards last season and posted the sixth-best 40-yard dash time (4.37 seconds) among wide receivers at the NFL scouting combine. His vertical jump (39.5 inches) tied for fourth.

“Let me put the ball in my hands. I’m going to make defenders miss, and my intention is to go score,” Felton said.

He will also likely get a long look as a punt and kickoff returner.

“You could feel this player’s speed on film,” senior vice president of player personnel Ryan Grigson said. “He’s going to be able to do a lot of things for us in this offense.”

Fresh from the defensive line factory

Georgia defensive tackle Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins was the first player the Vikings picked on Saturday, turning to a talent-rich program that has supplied a steady stream of NFL-ready prospects in recent years — including on the defensive front.

Ingram-Dawkins is more of a late bloomer who became a starter as a senior for the Bulldogs, still raw but with an explosive first step off the line and a keen ability to change direction. He will be able to grow behind veterans Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave and Harrison Phillips in a position group beefed up by the signings of Allen and Hargrave in free agency.

“Just trying to learn the ropes from them and hopefully be able to get a shot soon,” he said. “I’ll just be waiting on my opportunity.”

The backup quarterback box has been checked

The most meaningful development on Saturday was the acquisition of quarterback Sam Howell from Seattle, a trade that involved a swap of fifth-rounders with the Seahawks. Howell started a full season in 2023 for Washington, but he’s only 24 with plenty room to develop under O’Connell while presenting a serviceable backup option behind J.J. McCarthy in case of injury.

“If the season started today,” Adofo-Mensah said, “we’d be fired up about the guys in that room.”

Rounding out the roster

After some more maneuvering, the Vikings netted an extra pick and drafted Penn State linebacker Kobe King (201st overall) and Pittsburgh tight end Gavin Bartholomew (202nd) in the sixth round.

King was widely projected as a mid-round selection, so the Vikings couldn’t resist despite being set with Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace as their starters on the inside.

“I watched him and I was like, ‘There’s no way he’ll be there when this projection says he will be,’” Adofo-Mensah said. “Sometimes you get lucky.”

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Dave Campbell, The Associated Press