Last season, the Minnesota Vikings solidified the future of the offensive line with the selection of left guard Donovan Jackson in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he ended up turning in a mixed-bag rookie campaign.
Things appear to be in a different spot going into the second season, as there is a lot of optimism that Jackson can take the kind of leap the Vikings fan base needs him to. Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon recently warned that it needs to happen, as he needs Jackson as the Vikings' most important second-year player on the team in 2026.
"The first-round selection was solid as a regular starter at left guard during his rookie campaign. Now it's just about taking his game to the next level and becoming more consistent for whoever starts at quarterback in 2026."
Donovan Jackson needs to step up and have a great 2026 season for the Minnesota Vikings
Jackson ended up playing in 14 games after missing some time with injury, but still managed to have 795 snaps in the year.
Pro Football Focus gave him a 59.4 overall grade, which ranked him 45th out of 81 offensive guards in the NFL. He allowed 26 pressures, five quarterback hits, and two sacks in 468 pass-blocking snaps while also being called for five penalties throughout the season.
The usual suspects are back on the Vikings' offensive line in 2026, which should help Jackson have that continuity within the line. Minnesota is hoping they don't deal with as many injuries and lineup changes as they did last season.
A lot of eyes will be on Jackson and how he progresses throughout the season, as he showed some promise throughout the 2025 season. All those changes on the line, though, seemed to have affected him, and he struggled with pass protection.
If the Vikings repeat what happened last year on the line, that will spell trouble for the offense, as they are potentially changing quarterbacks and need either Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy to stay healthy.
That means Jackson must step up and improve his performance in 2026 and show the Vikings fan base that he is ready to take that step forward to be their future at left guard.
Everyone knows Jackson has the size and athleticism to handle himself on the offensive line like he did when he played at Ohio State. He's just got to show it on the NFL gridiron in 2026.
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