The Minnesota Vikings snapped a long drought in this year’s draft when they selected Donovan Jackson out of Ohio State. He was Minnesota’s first offensive guard selected in the first round in 37 years. In 1988, the club chose Randall McDaniel, and he turned out to be a pretty good player for the purple squad.
Vikings Legend Offers to Mentor the Rookie
Of course, folks immediately compared the two, but it’ll take some time for Jackson to come remotely close to McDaniel’s prime. The cool thing is that the Hall of Famer is willing to mentor the newcomer, he recently claimed in the interview with the Grand Forks Herald.
The article from earlier this month quotes Jackson: “I will get out there at some point and make the official greeting. I’m looking forward to that.”
Asked about his first impressions of the 22-year-old, McDaniel responded: “I definitely like what I’m hearing. The things that he’s been saying are all great. Just a typical offensive lineman. He does all the right things. Just watching him play at Ohio State, loved him moving out to tackle to help the team out. That’s what offensive linemen do.”
Jackson started 40 games at Ohio State; 31 of those came at left guard and the last nine at left tackle. Fellow draftee and left tackle Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury, and even his backup got hurt. When the coaching staff was looking for a solution, they approached Jackson about a move to the outside.
Although he is a natural guard and there was a chance the move would hurt his draft stock, he agreed to make the switch and helped the program capture the national championship.
McDaniel provided some clarity on how hard it is for a guard to play on the outside. “It all happens so quickly inside. You can work with the center or the tackle. You’re on an island sliding outside. The technique completely changes up. You have to stop and think. That’s the hard part. You’re used to reacting quickly, so when things change, there’s a hesitation for a brief moment. You’ve got to make sure the technique is sound in order to combat that.”
Jackson’s new teammate Brian O’Neill recently praised him for the ability to switch positions, too, suggesting that’s not something he could do.
McDaniel then pointed at the things Jackson does best: “They were known for running that ball. I liked that. I like the way he gets after it. He finishes his blocks and initiates it. I’m an old-school lineman; anytime I get to see a young kid run blocking, I get excited.”
