Vikings add high-level guard play in Mel Kiper’s latest 2-round mock draft

The Vikings finish overhauling their interior offensive line by adding Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft.

The Vikings have been one of the biggest spends this offseason as they added a pair of difference-makers on either side of the trenches. Offensively, they added former Colts teammates Ryan Kelley (center) and Will Fries (right guard). On the other side, they inked former Washington standout defensive tackle Jonathan Allen to go with former Eagle and 49er Javon Hargrave. Both sides of the ball immediately got bigger, better, and a lot more intimidating.

But even after they threw all that cash in the trenches, could the Vikings end up further reinforcing the line of scrimmage?

In Mel Kiper’s latest two-round mock draft, the Vikings used the first of their four total draft picks on Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson to seemingly replace left guard Blake Brandel.

Here’s what Kiper had to say about the pick:

“Minnesota signed guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly away from the Colts. It’s a big improvement on the interior offensive line. Let’s take it a step further. Jackson would replace Blake Brandel at the other guard spot, and he has the versatility to kick outside if needed. He did so this past season when Josh Simmons got hurt for Ohio State. That seems relevant given left tackle Christian Darrisaw is recovering from a left knee injury. Jackson is a plug-and-play interior blocker with great agility and technique; he allowed four sacks over 40 career starts.”

Jackson is a well-built, versatile blocker with a wealth of experience playing for one of the best programs in the country. As Kiper mentioned, he was able to hold down the blindside following Josh Simmons’ injury and not only succeed individually, but help his team win the 2024 CFP National Championship.

At 6’4 and 315, he’s a prototypical guard in the modern NFL with thick limbs, big hands, and above-average athleticism to find success in both zone and gap run schemes. Jackson is a fun watch due to how well he moves at his size. He’s fluid in his movements with little wasted effort getting into his opponents. Per NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, Jackson has the skillset to accomplish all tasks within an outside zone scheme. That sounds like a perfect Vikings offensive lineman to me.

The best part about Jackson, in my opinion? He’s an active searcher for extra work and he loves to finish his opponents in the dirt. There’s nothing like a lineman who wants to physically impose their will play after play. He’s a tone-setter and his teammates will see that and naturally rally around him. As a rookie, he’ll fit right in to any NFL locker room, but something tells me he’ll be especially adored here in Minnesota.