HOUSTON – Donovan Jackson joined the Minnesota Vikings in the first round 24th overall, one pick before the hometown Texans traded out of the first round in a deal with the New York Giants.
The Ohio State consensus All-American offensive lineman moves with agility and a grace that belies his massive frame at 6-foot-4, 315 pounds. Jackson is extremely athletic, balancing a 32 1/2 inch vertical leap with the power and endurance to bench press 225 pounds 32 times.
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An All-Big Ten Conference fixture at left guard, Jackson excelled at left tackle when teammate Josh Simmons tore his patellar tendon last season. He allowed no sacks and just two pressures in the college football playoffs.
Jackson had been graded anywhere from the final six to eight picks of the first round to an early second-round draft target. Most league sources predicted he’ll be drafted in the first round. Jackson has made a strong impression on the Texans, and he was a candidate for their 25th overall pick of the first round before they moved out of the first round. T
Jackson did visit the Texans along with the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings and the Las Vegas Raiders. He met with several team officials, including coach DeMeco Ryans, offensive coordinator Nick Caley and offensive line coach and run game coordinator Cole Popovich.
“We were just talking football, and I love to do that the most,” Jackson told KPRC 2 following a recent workout at BME Athletics in Houston. “It was great conversations, talking ball and I’m just hoping for the best. You get there early.
“They had you meet the entire staff, whether it be scouting, management, coaches, everything like that. They try to get to know you and you try to get to know them, so it’s a very fun process.”
It would have meant a lot to Jackson personally to be a Texan, but he knew it’s a process largely out of his control.
“No one knows on draft day until the phone rings,” Jackson said. “It would be a dream come true, but I’m looking forward to getting drafted by anybody. Man, it’ll be a blessing to go anywhere because I can’t really say anything because I’m currently unemployed and I need a job.
“But, you know, growing up 30 minutes from that stadium, it would be a blessing to be able to go there. Really, I’m grateful for any team that will draft me."
Once a heavily recruited prospect at Episcopal who chose Ohio State over Texas, Stanford, Texas A&M and Georgia, the Cypress native has a laidback, friendly personality.
On the field, his motor switches on and he has the requisite nasty streak to roll up his sleeves and be a mauler at the line of scrimmage.
“You kind of have to, especially as an offensive lineman, you’ve got to play with a little bit of edge to you,” Jackson said. “Offensive lineman have to be smart. You’ve got to know different fronts, different systems. When the ball snaps, you’ve got to be able to run off the ball and you’ve gotta be able to run through somebody.
“I’m very versatile. My versatility is what sets me apart. I played guard and tackle at a very high level, but also I fit in the different schemes, whether it be inside zone, stretch zone, duo, outside zone, break, contain, gap scheme. I’ve done it all at Ohio State at a high level, so I believe that’s what sets a me apart that I can play and fit into any scheme."
Jackson allowed just two sacks last season and had an overall blocking grade of 71.8 in 529 snaps at left tackle and 286 snaps at left guard and one snap at right tackle.
In 126 pass blocking snaps in the playoffs, Jackson allowed just two pressures. He had an 86.0 pass blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus. With Jackson protecting quarterback Will Howard and blocking for standout running backs and 1,000-yard rushers TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, the Ohio State offense thrived.
After losing in the Big Ten championship to rival Michigan, the Buckeyes won four consecutive games against Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame.
“I’m proud of the entire playoff run,” Jackson said. “We went against some very highly ranked opponents. Me, personally, I went against some very good defenders on the other side of the ball. I’m very proud, not only of myself, but us as a unit and how we executed on the field during that stretch.”
Jackson started 40 of 53 career games, including 31 starts at left guard and nine at left tackle.
A former blue-chip recruit ranked first among all offensive guards nationally, Jackson is poised to become the next Episcopal alum to follow the pathway to the NFL paved by Jaylen Waddle, Walker Little and Marvin Wilson.
Playing for a top-notch program prepared him for the Big Ten Conference.
“Episcopal set me up with their state-of-the-art facilities, you know all the amenities and coaching they have to set me for the next level,“ Jackson said. ”You know walking into a college weight room I wasn’t behind because I have an amazing strength program at Episcopal. I came in already ahead of schedule so they set me tremendously for the next level."
Interview: Ohio State @OhioStateFB All-American offensive lineman Donovan Jackson @D_jack78 @EHSHouston @AthletesFirst #NFLDraft2025 https://t.co/QWwWdBFOlR pic.twitter.com/OOqu8t9fqY
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 23, 2025
Jackson emulates several offensive linemen, including his Arizona Cardinals lineman Paris Johnson Jr., his former teammate in Columbus, along with Zach Martin, Robert Hunt and Chris Lindstrom.
“Everyone is unique in their own way,” Jackson said. “When I watch film, I might take away certain aspects from certain guys like, ‘How does this guy use his hands on this block, or how does this guy use his feet on this type of pass set.”
When Jackson isn’t playing football, he’s spending time with family.
His prodigious work ethic is attributed to his parents. Todd Jackson is a marketing director for Motiva, an oil and gas company. His mother, Melanie Jackson, is a recently retired elementary school mathematics teacher.
“They poured a lot into me, trying to give me the best opportunity to be successful on the field and also off of it,” Jackson said. “Whether it be private workouts, different coaches to give myself a little bit of an edge, they were 100 percent all-in and allowed me to live out my dreams. So, I really appreciate them for that.”
His workout at BME was efficient and intense.
“Shout-out to BME, the work was good,” Jackson said. “They have this great facility, everything you need to get active, to get your blood moving.”
Jackson is disciplined about what he eats and is relatively lean for a big man.
His guilty treat?
“I love brownies, I try to stay away from them,” Jackson said. “When I came home, my mom tried to make some, but I was like, ‘No, I can’t. I gotta keep it clean.’”
Ever since he was six years old, Jackson wanted to be an NFL player.
Now, it’s about to become his reality and his job.
“It’s a blessing to go through all this,” Jackson said. “This is what you dream for, just taking it one day at a time and excited. In elementary school, they always ask you what you want to be when you grow up. I wrote, ‘I want to play in the National Football League.’ So, it kind of worked out. It’s extremely humbling and a blessing to go through this, to talk to so many important people in different organizations and get to know new people and new faces.
Ohio State @OhioStateFB All-American offensive lineman Donovan Jackson @D_jack78 getting ready for #NFLDraft2025 @EHSHouston @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/OcF6pbCdOO
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 22, 2025
“I remember sitting with my dad as we watched football on Saturdays and Sundays. I saw how much joy the game brought him and how much he appreciated it and how much he enjoyed it. When I first started to play, I was like, ‘Man, I really love this game. Why not keep playing to the point where I can make a living off of it?’ I didn’t do it by myself. It takes a village to raise somebody, but it’s a cool experience and a blessing to be a part of."
When his name is called, Jackson expects it to be an emotional touchstone.
He’s ready for what’s next, but he’s staying relatively patient.
“It will be a surreal moment and kind of a relief because that’s what you dreamed of for so long,” Jackson said. “At the end of the day, it’s more you’ve got to get hungrier because you know you go from the top of the totem pole in college all the way back to the bottom again. You’ve got prove yourself all over again and I’m excited for that. I’m going to a new room showing them who i am as a person and as a player.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.
