Nearly every NFL team had a first-round draft pick in April’s selection meeting, and with those types of selections comes a specific kind of expectation. An expectation to produce right away, as well as one to be an anchor for the franchise that drafted you.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder discussed the outlooks for each first-round draft pick from the most recent class. He added projections in terms of a role they will start with, as well as some analysis as to why he thinks each player can achieve what he is projecting.
When discussing Vikings top draft pick Donovan Jackson, Holder is projecting him to earn the starting left guard spot. He writes, “The Vikings will likely have three new starting interior offensive linemen this season, with Jackson occupying one of those spots. However, he’ll have to beat out last year’s starting left guard, Blake Brandel, in training camp. That’s a battle the Ohio State product should win, but he won’t be handed the job and has to earn it.”
Brandel split the starting role with Ed Ingram, and the position was not reliable as a result. Brandel could be a serviceable fill-in, but he has shown that, sadly, he is not the answer.
The Vikings are now all in on Jackson as they revamp their offensive line. Jackson was considered a safe pick by the team, and he has every chance to be a long-term piece on the team.