With the 24th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings have selected Donovan Jackson, a highly regarded offensive tackle from the Houston area.
The Cypress native and 2024-25 College Football Playoff national champion is heading to Minneapolis.
Recommended Videos
As the draft commenced in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Jackson watched surrounded by family and friends in Houston.
Jackson, who played alongside Houston Texans’ quarterback C.J. Stroud at Ohio State, established himself as one of the top offensive tackles in the 2025 class.
He was a 2024 first-team All-American, and a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection.
KPRC 2’s Ari Alexander sat down with Jackson earlier this week, picking his brain about what he thinks makes him an elite prospect.
“I would say my versatility, you know, not just as a player, but schematically as well,” Jackson said. “I played guard and tackle. I’ve stayed at a very high level, but also, I played in many schemes, whether it be duo, inside zone, midzone, outside zone, gap scheme. I’ve done it all.”
Coming out of Episcopal High School in the 2021 recruiting class, Jackson was regarded as not only one of the top players in Texas, but in the entire nation as well.
graduate is set to become an Ohio State Buckeye, having had an All-American season that has positioned him as a potential first-round pick. 247Sports listed him as a 5-star recruit and the No. 7 player in the nation and first among his position.
These accolades led him to commit to play for one of the nation’s top football programs, Ohio State University, in Jan. 2020.
“I remember sitting with my dad as we watched football on Sundays,” Jackson remembered. “I saw how much the game brought him joy and how much he appreciated it. So when I started to play, I was like, ‘Man, I really love this game.’ And I was like, ‘Why not keep playing this to the point where I can make a living off of it?’”
As far as ideal destinations ahead of the NFL Draft, Jackson said he would be grateful to play anywhere.
“It’ll be a blessing to go anywhere because I can’t really say because I’m currently unemployed,” he said.
