As rookie left guard Donovan Jackson got acclimated to the NFL, it appears that consistently going up against a pair of dominant defenders this summer served him well.
Though there were many times throughout training camp that Jackson struggled in the trenches, maybe not enough was made about the fact that he was often going up against either defensive tackle Jonathan Allen or fellow defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
If his performance against the Chicago Bears on Monday night at Soldier Field was any indication, Jackson should be able to hold his own from the onset. He garnered a 88.1 pass blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus, to go along with a 66.9 run blocking grade.
It was everything the Vikings could’ve hoped for after selecting him in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
“There was a lot to really build off of,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “That was really encouraging.”
The assessment from Jackson wasn’t quite as glowing.
“Not quite to the standard I need to be at,” Jackson said. “There were a lot of stuff that I need to clean up. That makes it more exciting for me in a way. I know there’s still more to improve upon.”
The showing from Jackson was even more impressive when considering that Jackson didn’t have star left tackle Christian Darrisaw by his side. Though the Bears were attacking replacement left tackle Justin Skule seemingly on every snap, Jackson continued to stand his ground.
“He played amazing,” Darrisaw said. “I’ve seen the whole progression from the spring to the summer. He’s been playing really well, so I knew that type of game was coming. The sky is the limit for him.”
It was a similar tone from right tackle Brian O’Neill as he reflected on Jackson’s ability to rise to the occasion.
“I thought he did a really good job,” O’Neill said. “He was super poised. The moment definitely wasn’t too big for him. It was about what I expected, to be honest, based on everything that I’ve seen from him so far.”
The next step for Jackson will be following it with another standout effort against the Falcons on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.
“The challenge for him will be to be able to do it again,” O’Neill said. “He’s got to keep his body healthy and have that same game over and over and over for hopefully 15 years.”
It helps that Jackson doesn’t plan on letting complacency set in at any point. That’s not in his nature.
“I’m never really satisfied with my play,” Jackson said. “Regardless of how well I play, in my eyes, I always find little things I can improve upon.”
Briefly
After listing Darrisaw (knee) as questionable last week, the Vikings have ruled him out this week. Asked for details on the decision, O’Connell emphasized that Darrisaw hasn’t had a setback in the recovery process.
Meanwhile, edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel (concussion) and cornerback Jeff Okudah (concussion) have also been ruled, and safety Harrison Smith (illness) and linebacker Austin Keys (groin) are being listed as questionable.
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