Field Yates: Vikings made best pick in entire NFL Draft

The Vikings didn’t have many selections entering Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean the event was a complete failure for Minnesota.

Field Yates, a respected draft analyst for ESPN with a history in the NFL scouting world, chose Minnesota’s first-round pick as his favorite of the 257 selections made in the entire draft. That’s saying something, as the Vikings made five total draft picks.

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Yates raved about Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, the star guard who kicked outside to left tackle during the Buckeyes’ run to the 2024 national title. Despite arguably entering the draft with bigger needs on defense, especially in a secondary left thin from free agency, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stood pat and took Jackson with the 24th overall pick.

Not every draft analyst gave the Vikings a passing grade for the decision, but Yates was in the A-plus range in a recent writeup featuring a panel of ESPN experts: “Jackson was 20th overall on my board, as I am extremely bullish on his positional versatility, power, toughness and overall play temperament,” Yates wrote. “The Vikings began this offseason saying they would get their trenches in order and have done it.”

Jackson was the missing piece in Minnesota’s interior offensive line rebuild this offseason. The team cut ties with the likes of Garrett Bradbury, Ed Ingram and Dalton Risner, and welcomed in former Indianapolis Colts starters Will Fries and Ryan Kelly. Blake Brandel, the Vikings starting left guard in 2024, remains in the mix but will almost certainly play behind Jackson, given the invested draft capital. Brandel is a former sixth-round pick and struggled in his role last season.

Jackson opened the 2024 season as Ohio State’s starting left guard but moved outside to tackle due to an injury to Josh Simmons, who was taken by the Kansas City Chiefs at pick No. 32 overall. Jackson surrendered a couple sacks in his first start at left tackle against Abdul Carter and Penn State, but he settled into his new role from that point forward, allowing no sacks, 10 total pressures and just three QB hits over his final eight starts.

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Jackson’s positional versatility made him a perfect prospect for the Vikings, who will have franchise left tackle Christian Darrisaw attempting a return from a torn ACL this season. If Darrisaw is unable to go from Day 1, Jackson’s high-level experience at left tackle could come in handy.

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