Right after the Vikings drafted guard Donovan Jackson, a few defensive back prospects they met with went off the board: Georgia safety Malaki Starks at No. 27 to the Ravens, and Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston at No. 31 to the Bills.
The Vikings will have a long wait until they are on the clock again Friday night. As it stands, they don’t pick until the end of the third round at No. 97. It’s the pick they received as compensation for the departure of quarterback Kirk Cousins in 2024.
Defensive back seems a likely route they could go with that pick, though an offensive skill position could come into the mix. Defensive tackle is also still a possibility.
The first Gophers player is expect to come off the board Friday, with offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery projected to be a second-round pick.
Donovan Jackson spoke to reporters virtually Thursday night, and will speak again in person Friday after traveling from Houston in the morning. Here are a few of the things he had to say:
On what excites him most about playing for the Vikings: “I’m excited for this offense and this organization because of just how explosive and dynamic it really is.”
On being able to turn up the intensity on the field: “I would say it probably comes from my parents. Growing up they always said, ‘If you’re gonna do something, you better do it to the best of your abilities because we’re paying for it.’ … I take being a Jackson very serious.”
On biggest challenge going from LG to LT: “At guard you’re kind of fighting in a phone booth, at tackle you’re more on an island and you’re going against a rusher who’s obviously a lot faster."
Donovan Jackson is the third national champion drafted in the first round by this current regime.
Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah previously made first-round selections out of national champions in quarterback J.J. McCarthy (2024) and safety Lewis Cine (2022) after title runs by Michigan and Georgia.
Jackson smiled when asked about teaming up with McCarthy, who quarterbacked his former rival in Michigan: “We’re going to leave that in college,” Jackson said.
The action for tonight is (mostly) over at TCO Performance Center in Eagan.
Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell each just spoke with local media, praising their first-round pick Donovan Jackson for his selflessness switching from left guard to left tackle in his draft year and helping Ohio State win a national championship.
Jackson was identified by the Vikings early on in the draft process, Adofo-Mensah said. The Vikings both met with him at the combine and hosted him for a "top 30" visit.
Jackson will speak with the news media virtually soon and in-person Friday.
Kansas City has been in this spot a lot recently, picking last in the first round. The Chiefs closed out the first night of the draft by selecting Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons.
He was a linemate of the Vikings' first-round pick, guard Donovan Jackson. Jackson moved into Simmons' spot at tackle after Simmons got hurt in October.
And if you are keeping score, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was not drafted in the first round.
”Just love everything about his play style,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “He’s got length, he’s got power. And then, the little things that jump out at you about a player’s willingness to jump over to left tackle, and the next week, he’s blocking the third pick [Penn State’s Abdul Carter] in tonight’s draft. He didn’t necessarily need to do that in a year where he was going to be evaluated and drafted the way he was. The idea of Donovan walking into that O-line room that now has some pretty impactful players across the board, that’s something that was a goal. I think tonight really put a stamp on a plan that we set out to accomplish.”
The Super Bowl champion Eagles traded up, switching picks with the team they beat (the Chiefs) to select Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell. Shocking to see an SEC defender drafted by Philadelphia.