Purple Insider - a Minnesota Vikings and NFL podcast - Draft Night Coverage Hour 4 - Final buildup & reaction to Vikings selecting Donovan Jackson

Episode Date: April 25, 2025

Streaming live from the Purple Insider podcast bunker, Matthew Coller reacted live to night one of the NFL Draft. During hour four of the livestream, Coller reacts to the Packers selection and who that leaves the Vikings at No. 24 before discussing the Vikings' selection of Donovan Jackson with the No. 24 overall pick. Intern Clay also pops in to discuss how the actual picks compare to the consensus big board.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There it is, Matthew Golden, the wide receiver from Texas. The Packers taking another speedster to go along with. Maybe Christian Watson will recover from his injury, but that is problematic for them. Jaden Reed, they are looking for their number one wide receiver. Last year, we heard all about how it was actually better that they did not have a good receiver and now they changed their tune a little bit in drafting Matthew Golden and for the Vikings perspective this is twofold. Number one, well it's a wide receiver they're gonna have to cover and he's pretty darn fast. Running a four three is serious.

If he can catch, if he can run routes, he could be problematic for the Vikings. The history of four, three wide receivers is not particularly great because teams reach on them and they have expectations for guys that maybe didn't perform in college because they don't have the details, but they just have pure speed that might be Matthew Golden, who I think is a better prospect than your John Ross or something, but I also don't think that he's as great of a prospect as deserving of 23rd overall. Still, nonetheless, a 4-3 wide receiver that the Minnesota Vikings will have to deal with going forward.

That's one side of it. The other side is, look at this board for the Vikings. We don't know the Will Johnson medical situation, but that's a top 10 player. Jahad Campbell a top 15 player. Malachi Starks, Nikki Manwari. These are the top safeties. Luther Burden. These are the top safeties. Luther Burden, projected by some to be the number one wide receiver off the board. The Vikings options are plentiful here, and of course trading here at the cornerback position if they decide to move back if that's what they want to go with. Benjamin Morrison, even Azaria Thomas, there are a lot of good players here.

For me, I think I would just take Malachi-Starks. Well, of course, you guys know who I would take. I would take Luther Burden, but if I'm them and I'm not taking a wide receiver then I would just go with Malachi Starks and see what happens the pick is in the Vikings are picking folks. Here we go they're gonna make a selection and they're gonna go with somebody here and all of you have already blown the pick in the chat, so There we are, but I'll wait anyway. I will wait anyway.

And you know, this one is gonna make a lot of sense and is something we talked about quite a bit throughout the draft process. It's a position we discussed at length and this could be a game changer in a way that most players at this position usually aren't. So I will, like I said, it will wait is funny for the draft to be in Green Bay. And then, you know, they have this big celebration of the Green Bay pick and

now the guy's given a speech and everything else. And then the Vikings come up right after this. No, I am looking at the chat. I know that a lot of you did not want to wait on this draft pick. I just promised that I would maybe for the Vikings pick. I shouldn't, and I should just react to it right now, but, um, I guess I should probably do that because it seems like this is going to take forever with this big celebration for green Bay.

Uh, so I guess I'll just say it anyway. It is Donovan Jackson, the guard from Ohio State. They decide to take Donovan Jackson and plug him in with Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, Brian O'Neill, Christian Derisaw. This is a position that I think means more to the Minnesota Vikings than it would for most teams. If you draft Donovan Jackson on most teams, you might say, OK, all right, well, just a guard, whatever.

But in this case, this is the final piece to the puzzle for the Minnesota Vikings. puzzle for the Minnesota Vikings. There is a little bit of a concern for me on Donovan Jackson from a statistical perspective that he did not have a great year, but the thing is he played tackle when he was not asked to play tackle or when he's not going to be asked to play tackle in the NFL Donovan Jackson is going to be a left guard for the Minnesota Vikings, but he had to go and play left tackle for Ohio state and helped lead them to a national championship. And the thing I really,

really like about Donovan Jackson is movement. Because if you look at the Vikings running backs, who they traded for Jordan Mason, who they also have in the backfield, Aaron Jones, these two guys, what are their specialties? They are zone runners. Jordan Mason ran the zone style of running, which requires more flexibility for the offensive linemen about 70% of the time. So now they are able to put. A left guard here who has that type of movement skill. So into that type of blocking system and with a bunch of veteran

high caliber players. Now, this is also a really interesting development here is the Giants have just moved up. So whatever the team after the Vikings gets, we're going to know is the package that probably was going to go to the Vikings. So the Texans are moving back. Maybe they thought that the Texas were going to take Donovan Jackson and they just wanted to do that.

But as much as we talked about positional value, the wide receiver spot, which they may address tomorrow night, we talked about defensive tackle, but the Walter Nolan, the Derek Harman, the Kenneth Grant, they all went off the board. Zabel went off the board. Booker went off the board. So those guys were not available to the Vikings. And instead they end up taking somebody who is going to be that final piece to the puzzle and who fits their scheme really well and who played on a winning team. Now what I'm seeing just from some of you right away is that this is a reach and I know in comparison to the consensus draft board, this is a little bit higher than where Donovan

Jackson was. But I also think that we need to talk about what a reach really is. If you're evaluating these guys and you're talking about them as being potential final piece to the puzzle, you hope he's a 10 year offensive guard for you that creates this past protection for JJ McCarthy and running game for Jordan Mason. And you pick him a few spots later than the consensus board. That to me is not a reach. It is not what we describe as a reach. If he was rated the 50th best player and they took him here, then I would say that would

be a reach. Uh, Jonathan, we have a compensation for the Giants moving up. Giants giving up 34.99 and a third rounder in 2026 to move up. It's a lot. I think that's what that tells us guys is that they wanted a guard and they wanted Donovan Jackson because that's what that tells us guys is that they wanted a guard and they wanted Donovan Jackson

because that's a lot that they weren't looking at the corner position because they could have moved back and they could have gotten corners and Clearly they weren't gonna draft the wide receiver here but it means that they must have really liked Donovan Jackson to pass up because if you're getting the 34th pick 99th pick so that's still a top 100 if that's the offer that was going to the Vikings and a third in 2026 that is a pretty pretty healthy return and maybe the Vikings should have done that now I'm going to have to go back and forth a little bit on whether they should have done that or not because Donovan Jackson, I like as the final piece to the puzzle. I think that if you can create a top five offensive line here, that the value of creating

a top five offensive line in front of JJ McCarthy is enormous, enormous. I mean, think about Jalen hurts. Think about what kind of situation he has had there over the last couple of seasons, he's a great quarterback Jalen hurts, but what does he had in front of him elite offensive lines, which means that you are getting everything that you could possibly get out of Jalen hurts. And if that is the level of offensive line, the Vikings can create with two great tackles, a rebuilt interior offensive line with a ton of investment. Man, when Kevin O'Connell said in after the playoff game, we need a better interior offensive line paraphrasing.

He was not messing around. He went into this off season and he said, we are getting one heck of a better interior offensive line. And they did that. And they got a guy who fits their running scheme to a T in Donovan Jackson and who competed at the highest level on a national championship team with him. All that stuff is really good for Donovan Jackson and I don't think they have to apologize

for it. I don't think they have to apologize for picking a late first round guard who can be the final piece of this puzzle and who has the skill set to be really good here. Look, guys, I am just about at the age where I'm starting. Notice that hairline fading a little bit. So if you're struggling with the same problem, allow me to make a suggestion. Give hims a try. Try hims hair loss solutions, and you'll be joining the hundreds of thousands of subscribers who found their hair again.

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Restrictions apply, see website for details and important safety information. However, if we're gonna look at the other side of it, that's really good return. Now, if they're comfortable with their corner back room, okay, and there was some conversation out there today that they might be looking at trying to trade for another veteran corner. I do think they need another corner in that room.

But if the Giants and you know, Paul asks, are we sure they asked the Vikings? I mean, I don't know that there was all the reports that they were calling everybody. If that's the offer that they were ready to put down for the Vikings, it's a lot. That's a good ready to put down for the Vikings, it's a lot. That's a good offer to put down for the Vikings. So now what I'm intrigued to see is who else comes off the board between

where the Vikings would have had to give up on, right? Like did they think that they were not going to be able to draft Donovan Jackson? Maybe they felt that the Texans were going to take him or maybe they felt the Eagles were going to take him. That could be who the Eagles were trying to trade up and get. So taking a guard here, anything that is in the trenches, anything that helps stop these freak defensive tackles. And look, I wrote about this earlier this off season that

the value of guards and I interviewed a former NFL guard just to pew for this and go find this story. The value of good guards is skyrocketing because the job of the offensive guard has gotten so much tougher over the last number of years. The stats show it. They're giving up more pressures. They're grading worse. It's going to be really challenging for any guard coming into the league, but

just any guard playing in the NFL going forward because there's stunts and there's DTs like Derek Harmon come into the league, Walter Nolan, it's not stopping. They're only getting better. So having somebody in front of JJ McCarthy who can help you combat that, I have a really tough time arguing against it and I won't. And I said all along, if it's Zable, if it's Booker, if it's Jackson, anything that helps JJ McCarthy is good. That's going to get an A from me. And this does. And it's only, I think, a slight reach on the consensus board. If the guy was number 68 and they took him at 24, OK.

But if he's 30 something and they take him at 24, to me, that's not a reach. That's getting the player that they saw is the best possible fit. The national champion. I am on the other side of that, a little bit concerned about some of the numbers because even when he played guard, he did not grade spectacularly by PFF. And I know you could save your who cares about PFF. It's been proven that the grades correlate to success in the NFL for offensive lineman and they're just okay for Donovan Jackson.

But I think what probably really sold the Vikings is number one, the guy is enormous, his size, he could play tackle. Uh, he apparently has very good leadership talents. And the other part of it is that when you saw him at the combine, I remember seeing him at the combine and the way he moved and that, yeah, I mean, Randall mentions at Ingram, it's not the combine. I remember seeing him at the combine and the way he moved and that yeah, I mean Randall mentions Ed Ingram. It's not the same. He is really incredible movement skill that you're going to see that could be a potential weapon. They need to get better in the screen game. They need to get better in the run game and they need to protect JJ McCarthy. Let me give you a stat. I'll pull this up. If you're not happy with the Vikings drafting an offensive lineman,

I'll give you this stat that might help you tomorrow at work. Okay, when you go to work and everybody says, what do you think of the Vikings pick? Let me help you out with this. Okay, so last year, clean pockets, all right, in the NFL. What everybody wants, clean pockets in the NFL, right? There were, let me take a look here, get this number for you so it's correct.

Let me get the correct number. When NFL quarterbacks had clean pockets last year, there were 18 quarterbacks over 100 quarterback rating. Jared Goff, for example, had a 122.3 quarterback rating when he was kept clean. Jalen Hurts, 116. Baker Mayfield, 110. Okay, so think about that.

That is MVP level when those players were kept clean. When those players were pressured, there was one guy in the entire NFL with a quarterback rating over 100 when they were pressured. And even Sam Darnold had a pretty good quarterback rating by the standard 87. And there were only five guys over an 80 rating when they were pressured. Pressured versus clean is absolutely enormous statistically. So anybody who helps that, that's good. And that's the argument for Donovan Jackson who played left tackle for a team that won a national championship. That's what I'm going to say.

I like it. But the return was excellent for the Houston Texans moving down. Yes, Jonathan. Speaking about the return for the Texans, the return the Rams just got for pick 26 is pretty ridiculous. Falcons trading pick 46 to 42 in a first rounder in 2026 to move up 20. Yeah. A first rounder in 2026 to move up to pick number 26. Who the heck are they taking?

Is this Luthor? No. Luther Burton. I haven't seen it come across yet. Will Johnson. What a future first round pick. You got to assume that was on the board. Poof. OK, so there's so there's the there's the good and the bad of it.

The good is that the Minnesota Vikings got somebody who can help along the offensive line. The more they keep J.J. McCarthy. Out of pressure, the more success they will have. It is right there on paper against pressure. Quarterbacks are bad across the league. It doesn't matter how good they are. They're all bad against pressure.

We saw it in the Super Bowl. When kept clean, you could turn Jared Goff or Jalen hurts into the best pastors in the entire NFL. And that's exactly what the Vikings are trying to do for JJ McCarthy. And you have to give them a ton of credit for that. They went into this off season and they said no more of this nonsense of only Udo or Blake Brandle or whatever sixth round tackle, Dakota Dozier, Tom Compton, just moving Mike Remmers, all this nonsense at guard where

they tried to patch that over with tape and glue. No more of that. Kevin O'Connell wants to throw that freaking ball and he's going to protect his freaking quarterback. And to that, I give them a lot of that. Kevin O'Connell wants to throw that freaking ball and he's gonna protect his freaking quarterback. And to that I give them a lot of credit. And we've been calling for it, we've been asking for it forever. We've been pointing out every time you face Akeem Hicks, Kenny Clark, Grady Jarrett, you get run over. Stop getting run over. And that's what they did. They spent 17 million on Will fries. They moved on from Garrett Bradbury and they drafted this big old beast left guard.

That's great. I, I, I cannot complain about that at all because how could I, after asking for them to do this for, don't know how long, invest in blocking for your quarterback. And I'm sure Sam Darnold somewhere is watching the draft being like, could have done this last year, eh? Them's the breaks. But these traits at the back end of the first round are ludicrous. The Giants going up for Jackson Dart. So Chaudhuri Sanders continues to fall and

Then now James Pierce a future first round pick If that was on the table for the Vikings And we can't guarantee that it was we certainly cannot guarantee that it was But if that was on the table for the Vikings even dropping back and getting 99 in a future third I thought jeesh here's the thing though is that when it comes to the way the board is gonna play out Donovan Jackson was the last guard and after that you're talking about looking at him in the third round. And then it's going to be a lot tougher.

And there are other teams that we're going to take Donovan Jackson. Alexander points that out, but at least two or three other teams that would have been interested potentially in Donovan Jackson. So if he would have and probably doesn't get past Philly, they lost Pekai Bekden as well. They might have been interested also. So if there were a lot of interested teams after the Vikings, they may have just said, well, look, we want to draft a guard and we don't want to move back and we want to stick and pick our guy,

which is was kind of my expectation this entire time that they would just stick and pick and not try to move out if it was their guy and I'm sure they ran a thousand simulations of what this could be like but if they had a future first on the table oh that is tough to pass up are we ripping quasi then? No No, we're not the reason we're not ripping quasi is because There's nothing better that you can do

for your quarterback than to block for him and When I studied this Earlier this offseason I took all of the top 20 offensive guards from five years ago, six years ago, seven years ago and compared him to right now. And what I found is they're, they're performing worse. Their jobs are harder than it's ever been. And you need more talent. Matt says, how could it not have been offered?

No, you're right. I agree with you. If those teams were willing to make those offers, then it would have made sense to get that draft capital. And gosh, if they offered a future first, oh, that is really hard to pass up on. If that's what they did. But also, they potentially enormously improved their ability to run the football. That can't be overstated. This is a team that has been pathetic running the football over the last couple years pathetic

and with this draft pick and the additions in free agency they should be massively better because it is so clear in the NFL that your offensive line and your environment is just as important as your running back for how much success you have. And for a lot of you saying like, hey, I mean, you've got to think about those picks because those extra picks might have been great. And I don't disagree. And maybe they didn't get the same exact offer. I don't know. Modern Moose says I'd sell my mother for a future first. If that was on the table for the Vikings

to get a future first, that is a really, really, really tough offer to pass up on. But also think about the next guard off the board. And if the expectation was Jackson was gonna get taken, the next guard off the board. And if the expectation was Jackson was gonna get taken, the next guard off the board, when does that guy even go? Who knows where that guy even goes? So if you think about like the Giants and getting the 99th pick, okay, that's a fine pick.

A future third, that's a fine pick. But if you have a massive drop off between the impact you have for Donovan you have a massive drop off between the impact you have for Donovan Jackson in solidifying this offensive line and then going all the way down to the second round where we're looking at safeties, we're looking at corners and guys like that, then they may have decided it's just more important. And here's the thing too. Let's also make this clear that I said going into the draft, anything that helps JJ McCarthy, I'm gonna be for.

So I'm for it. And the only thing we're gonna second guess is those offers that came into other teams that were trades that we don't know for sure that they were actually gonna get for those offers. Now, if it was a future first, that's pretty hard to turn down when there are still good players on the board.

There still is the Malachi-Starks, there still is the cornerbacks, the wide receiver. It seems Jahad Campbell must have and Will Johnson must have serious issues with their health for those quality prospects to drop that far. That is what's going to be second guests. The rest of the way is whether they should have moved on. And I think that it's, it's a I think that it's a tough call. It's a tough call.

Or whether they should have moved down, I mean, whether they should have moved down or not. What's up, Jonathan? Couple of quotes from Kevin O'Connell. He's on KFAN right now at the Vikings draft party, saying, talking about Donovan Jackson, he's very lethal at the point of attack. They ran behind him a ton.

It's that second level finish playing through the whistle kind of mentality. quote we see Donovan as a huge impact player for us on the inside um yeah so seems pretty excited he said they he also said they wanted to continue the theme of this offseason of attacking the offensive and defensive lines and that's exactly it, Jonathan, thank you. That's exactly it for why I'm going to have a really tough time being unhappy with this draft pick because Donovan Jackson is a big offensive guard with the athletic movement skill to play tackle on a team that won the national championship but is really more of a natural guard. And being able to put him in this really favorable situation along the offensive line in the interior where they've been beat how many times. That's the thing about why when I'm seeing criticism of the pick that is surprising me the most is we've just had over and over and over and over again

this discussion about the interior offensive line and how much the Minnesota Vikings have struggled to stop the beast defensive tackles of the NFL. And now they get the guy and you would rather trade out of the pick. So that's what's a little tricky here is Malachi. Starks does go off the board. And yet at the same time he goes to the Ravens and yet at the same time, I fully understand it. That the offers that were made right after the Vikings, including the Giants offer that would have got them 99 and that also would

have got them a third rounder from next year. And then this crazy trade that was made by the Atlanta Falcons where they were obviously trying to jump up ahead of someone. It's not entirely clear that the Vikings would have gotten the same offer from the Atlanta Falcons, but if they did, again, it's really not easy to pass up on a future first. If they made that offer to the Vikings, which we don't know. If they did, that one, that's one you go, Oh, I don't know. I don't know if I want this guard that badly, but I think quasi-adopthal Mensa told us the truth

when he was having that conversation with us in his press conference before the draft. He said that if there's a guy that you like enough, then you just take them because the best players get taken at the top of the draft and that is just all of history The stars the pro bowlers they all get taken at the top of the draft And the farther you you move back the more Problems you're going to have getting star players if they view donovan jackson as someone who could be a well above average

potential pro bowl type of talent at left guard for them to be paired with the rest of this offensive line and put that in front of JJ McCarthy. And it's also a good point by Aaron about the spending on guards has shot way up to the point where average guards are getting $20 million a year these days with someone like Aaron Banks getting that from the Green Bay Packers. Suddenly it's gotten harder to get quality guards in the NFL. And for me, this is a move that could potentially enormously impact the offensive line. That's hard to be mad about. could potentially enormously impact the offensive line. That's hard to be mad about. It's really only about hypothetical trades that maybe you take or maybe you don't. Is Melikai-Starks to help a defense that's already great and has safeties

they're developing? Is that worth more than a position that was really a pretty big gaping hole for them at left guard now being completely plugged by a potential game changer. That's where I can't be down on this. I see that some of you are talking about, you know, well, is this guy really that good? Well, that I don't know. We're going to find that out as we go forward how good Donovan Jackson really is. But the mentality of the player, the fact that he was able to play a different position, that maybe he could be a tackle in a pinch. The skill that he has specifically and how that fits the Minnesota Vikings,

I think that's. Exciting right there. Quit saying people are mad. I did I say people are mad? Uh, I don't, I don't know if people are mad so much as maybe thinking that they could have potentially got these other draft picks and we love more draft picks and those offers are pretty impressive, especially if it's the first rounder. But as far as how the offensive line is going to look now with Donovan Jackson, if he clicks and he works out to be an above average first round caliber

offensive lineman, that is impossible to deny. So what Jackson has is the potential to have a, like a multiplying, oh, chat is saying that people are mad. Okay, gotcha. Is just a multiplying effect for me, Donovan Jackson. It's could he impact Christian Derisaw and Ryan Kelly because they're not playing next to a guy who's trying to learn how to play guard. It's somebody well, he played tackle last year, but he's played guard in his career and that's where his real position is.

It's not a sixth round tackle who's trying to move in. It's somebody who is going to start from day one as a guard for them and learn from those players, but has the talent to make them potentially better. Unlike someone that they're trying to drag with them is the weak link and trying to cover up for so that has a trickle down effect. And then the running backs that they got. They can run outside zone stuff with the athletes they have. with the athletes they have. Kelly may not be as athletic as he was before. Will Fries is a heck of a run blocker. Darasaw and Jackson on the left side,

you hand the ball off to the left side, put Josh Oliver over there, my goodness! My goodness! There is so much potential for them running to that left side with Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones. And then the trickle down effect on JJ McCarthy. How many years have Vikings quarterbacks taken the snap drop back and someone is right in their face and look, this is only if Donovan Jackson works out.

If he doesn't, then this is still going to be a problem, but if he works out and he's got the talent to do so having that pocket in front of JJ McCarthy, what is more important than that other than Justin Jefferson? What is more important than that? Now, I'm sure Alexander says, you know, can we ask Quacey about the future? I'm sure he will be asked about that. Obviously, I'm sitting here and not at the press conference, but I'm sure he will be asked about that.

Oh, Tylic Williams to the lions. Huh? That's now there's a reach. There's a reach. Quacey's not going to tell anybody what offers that they got. We're just going to be left to pretty much assume, or we're going to be left with reports about what the Vikings may have had on the table. I think it's safe to assume they might have had the Giants deal,

which is OK. I don't know if they had that Falcons deal, which was out of this world. How far and Jonathan, do you have it in front of you? How far did the Rams move back with the Falcons for them to get Pierce? I think it goes to 46. Oh, now a future first is crazy. But guys, moving back from 24 to 46 would have been. A lot that that is getting out of the range of getting a good player, I think.

OK, what do you got? Some quotes from Quacey talking to the media right now at TCO saying we added a player with a great skill set and championship pedigree on the trade calls that he received, that they received people had called, but it really didn't get heated up until right before our pick. Uh, in those moments where you really liked the player, Donovan Jackson. Okay. The Atlanta one is going to be tough, but 46 is a long way to go back.

I mean, giving up 20 something players to go all the way back to 46. That means you're talking about not getting anyone that has pro bowl potential. Just historically speaking. And this is something I wrote about this week is people. Casey, people did ask. They just ask. Jonathan just read you the answer, people did ask. They just ask. Jonathan just read you the answer. They did ask.

I'm sorry. That's too good. Uh, they did ask and he just gave the answer that, but he's, Casey is not going to tell you all the offers that were on the board. He's just, it's obvious that they didn't have a good enough offer for them to move back and justify it because they stayed there and they picked My point is that's the one thing we're gonna question but that offer from the Giants It's decent to move back to 34. It's not mind-blowing to get the 99th pick and a third from next year

It's not mind-blowing. It's really only that Falcons deal But when you're going that far up for a future first, but what if the Falcons are good and then it's, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know about that. I think that the numbers might tell you it would be a good idea to move back and get a future first if they got that offer, which we don't know. But Jackson does so much for the running backs for the quarterback

if he fits with this offensive line and they put together an Eagles like offensive line like compared to the Eagles. Is it close? It might not be quite as good, but it's close. So let's just pull back for a second and then we'll look at the PFF grades from Jackson because there's a little bit of some questions I have about Donovan Jackson from that perspective from the statistical perspective and why he was a little lower for me than someone like Maybe even a Tyler Booker, but some of that is fit

Let me let me just let's just pull back and look at the whole roster for a second now, and then we'll look at Excuse me, then we'll look at Donovan Jackson and then I'm gonna take a little more sip of diet Dr. Pepper because it's been a long night but it's great so the Rams also gave up 101 okay yeah I mean that's not really that relevant I mean they they're moving they're getting a future first. If we look at now, the Vikings depth chart with Donovan Jackson, let's say, let's say that it works and he is a top 20 offensive lineman at his position, top 20 guard, let's say it works because you never know, but let's just go on that assumption.

If you have an offensive line that now is in the top five, you have a pair of receivers along with a tight end who you could argue is in the top five in weapons. If you are talking about giving a quarterback a top five offensive line and top five group of weapons in the entire NFL. What do you think that does to the chances that JJ McCarthy works out? And if you are giving a top five offensive line, I could pull this up to take a look at it. What the top five run offensive lines did last year in terms of running games.

If you can give a top five running offensive line. So here were the top five run blocking teams last year by PFF. Atlanta Detroit San Francisco Philly Indy. What did those teams do last year in the run game? I mean it's a force multiplier potential pick. That's why I like it. It has a trickle down effect in solidifying this group potentially to make them not just good enough, but actually nasty, actually beastly, actually scary. scary When is the last time the Minnesota Vikings had an offensive line?

That was scary If the difference between getting an offensive line that could be scary and I'll tell you when that was it's probably 2009 right was maybe the last time that they had a scary offensive line where you went. Oh man I gotta face these guys. That's probably oh nine. We're talking about what is that? How many years is that? 15 years, 15 years, right? Since they had a scary offensive line. So you could do that. Now, if this guy is the difference between a scary offensive line and a line that clearly still has a big hole. Is that worth getting the ninety ninth pick?

Let's just go on the Giants offer because that that Falcons one is very muddy. That would have been a crazy move moving all the way back way out of where you're at right now in the first round. That would have been crazy. So let's just go with only that Giants offer move back to 34 out of the opportunity to get a guard then you're just not getting one in the first round or the second round really because there's not great prospects there so maybe you're really reaching okay you can get a good corner, but you're forgoing that opportunity to fill a position

that you really don't have another answer for in development. I mean, Walter Rouse or, you know, hoping that Brando gets better at 29 years old. I mean, that's a pretty tough ask. I don't worry that much about third round picks. It's a good return for them to go up and get Jackson dart. pretty tough ask. I don't worry that much about third round picks. It's a good return for them to go up and get Jackson dart. It's not an absurd return. It's not a return that you can't turn down.

And if they had gone all the way back from 24 to 46, you basically are giving up on a first round pick to get a future first round pick. But the gap in pro bowl players between the back end of the first in the same area they drafted Jefferson and they drafted Darasaw versus the middle of the second round. That's a pretty big, pretty big gap. Brandon Thorne, you have to ask, I have to get Brandon Thorne and his analysis from Trench Warfare on the show to talk about that. Now let's take a look at Donovan Jackson here for his career.

And I'm going to screen share this so you guys can see it on the PFF page because now so here's Donovan Jackson for his entire career. Of course he was playing tackle this year and his grades were clearly brought down a tackle by a game against Abdul Carter and Penn State where he got demolished and What I see is him getting better as the season went along and look at these last four games as a pass protector Again, this is at tackle where he scored very well against Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and against Notre Dame did not give up a single sack down the stretch and two quarterback pressures down the stretch. That is really impressive from Donovan Jackson to have only given up two

quarterback pressures in their final four games, including against Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame en route to the national championship. And if we go back and look at his numbers as a guard, hopefully you guys can see these at the bottom of the screen here, that his past protection got much better from 22 to 23 as a guard, allowed one sack and only 10 pressures and graded better as a run blocker in 22 than he did in 23 or 24. So I think that these numbers do not jump off the page for me.

They don't scream. Oh my gosh. Draft this guy no matter what but but you see the progress he made at a position where he shouldn't have even been playing at left tackle, but he was just asked to do it and he was able to do it. And then you see the highlights of playing really well against the best competition at the end of the season, grading very well one season as a run blocker. And you add that with a 90th percentile relative athletic score. They got some athletes on this offensive line now. And that's what I'm looking at the most is just, is your offensive line potentially top

five? Okay. Then how can we be against this draft pick when that's what's going to determine in a large part. If JJ McCarthy becomes what he's expected to become. So maybe you wanted the safety. I see some people saying they want to Melikai Starks for me. Safety is just not a position you need to draft in the first round. If they did it, I would have said, okay, that must mean Brian Flores loves him. But overall, it was not a positional value that I was into when I think their love for Theo Jackson is legit. And they also believe that they can develop other guys like Jay Ward.

And if you trade back from 24 to 34 with the Giants, then you miss out on every other guard there. You would have missed out already on Booker on Zable and on Jackson. If he gets taken, they must have believed that he was going to be taken. This is a great question by Jay Boone is how much of an upgrade will he be over Brando? Now, that is another question. Is Blake Brando. Now that is another question. Is Blake, Brando has limitations and I have a ton of respect for Blake Brando because he learned a new position in guard over two years and he was a six round guy with limitations to his game athletically

and gave them mostly competent play through last year. The biggest difference between those two pedigree is huge. I mean, it matters that one's taken in the first round and that a team was willing to invest. Oh, by PFF, you guys wanna know? I'll pull that up. I'll pull that up for you about Blake Brandle. But from the eyeball test,

the biggest difference between those two is Donovan Jackson is a phenomenal athlete, phenomenal athlete. And if you saw him at the combine, go back and find the highlights of him moving at the combine. I was on a plane back from Indianapolis when the offensive linemen were doing their stuff. And I was like, who is this? And that was Donovan Jackson, because you just don't see guys who can get out and move like that at 300 and whatever he was 20 pounds. So the athleticism, the pure raw athleticism is crazy different between these two.

And that's going to make a massive difference in the running game and the outside zone stuff. And it's likely to make a difference in the past protection because of who you're going against, which is some of the freakiest of the freaky athletes in the NFL. So your question was about Brandel and where he ranked. Let me see. OK. Where was he? where he ranked. Uh, let me see. Okay.

Um, where was he 50? Okay. Overall, he was the 54th graded guard out of 59 starting guards that qualified by PFF 54th. Not great. Not great, Bob. I mean, he was third in quarterback pressures allowed in the entire NFL. Only Alex Kappa and Cordell Volsen gave up more quarterback pressures last year than Blake Brandel.

If you can cut that in half and go from 41 pressures allowed to even 30. That's 15 more times, no, that's 30, 10 more times, a dozen approximately more times that your quarterback can drop back and throw without pressure. So who can argue with that? And it does matter that he is such a great athlete. Donovan Jackson.

It's going to make a difference. But if he even cuts it down by a third, it's important. And if he if he cuts it down in half and he's a top 20 guard, and then you have a top five tackle. Oh my goodness. So yeah, I do think while um, well, Josh, you're completely wrong. When you said purple insider thinks a guard who should have gone early in the third is better than Malachi starts.

First, you spelled Malachi Starks wrong. So that's a demerit, but also we, this is why we have a consensus board. This is why we have a consensus board because we can prove to you that no one thought Donovan Jackson was a third round pick. Donovan Jackson was projected as an early second round pick, but there are teams right after the Vikings because this exists in a real world, not a theoretical world, the Texans, the Eagles teams that need guards. How about the Rams who traded their guard?

And so if he was evaluated this highly in the NFL, then that means that someone else who needed a guard could have taken him, not a third rounder. If you're going to exaggerate, then that's how you end up sounding a little ridiculous. It's not there's no necessary. There's not necessary to exaggerate. Did they reach by the consensus board a little a little, but not for this position.

When was the next guard on the consensus board expected to be picked? Go way down the board after that. What Tate Ratledge or something? That's when you go way, way, way back. And Houston had a great chance to potentially take Donovan Jackson because they are completely out of offensive linemen So if they felt they had to take him it's okay to sacrifice the 99th pick if that's what the Giants were offering and A next year's third when you're getting comp picks for next year anyway So I think on a night like tonight. There's always going to be a want to debate the draft pick

In this then we're gonna have to do in the theoretical world is really the only debate is that the theoretical world? Which is what they may be theoretically quite possibly could have been offered But that's not what they were offered and already very very, very funny to see Wyatt Davis, a third round pick guys, not a first round pick did go to the same college though. So that makes him the same exact person, obviously, but, uh, a Wyatt Davis was a third round pick for a reason because he wasn't that great of a prospect. And that's the problem is if you try to wait for tomorrow and you take a Wyatt Davis, a Drew Samia, even an Ezra Cleveland, I mean, you just don't know there. Instead, it is a first

round guard and teams have to love them to take them. So if you've decided tonight that you're against it, okay, well, that's that is your prerogative. You're allowed to do it. But when I look at the value of having a top five offensive line, guys, it is just undeniable, undeniable. When you look at all the numbers, what teams with top five, let's talk about them. Let's talk about teams that are great on the offensive line. The Philadelphia Eagles. Were they OK? Well, how was their offense? The San

Francisco 49ers a couple years ago, not so much last year, but a couple years ago. Last year the Tampa Bay Bucks overachieving team, great offensive line. The Baltimore Ravens year in and year out, great offensive line. How about that team in the NFC North? When you play that team in the NFC North in Detroit, what do you talk about their offensive line? Why is it that Jared Goff has put up number one offenses? Because when he's got a clean pocket, he's got 120 quarterback rating. That's what they're trying to accomplish here.

I don't see how any of you could speak out of both sides of your mouth and complain for a year in a year out rightfully. So rightfully. So that the interior of the offensive line is terrible. And that these options that they've thrown in there, the Mike Remmers and the Dakota Dozier's and the drew Samia's, they stink and they can't block anybody. And how is the quarterback supposed to be good when he's on his back?

And then they draft a first round guard and you go, I don't know, they should have traded out. So what, they could take a corner that they could get in free agency in a couple of years? I don't know. I said from the beginning, if they draft a guy who helps JJ McCarthy, you're gonna have a tough time having me be mad about it

So I am NOT gonna be mad about it Not when they draft someone who is going to help McCarthy and I think Donovan Jackson has a very high potential to do that. Can he beat out Blake Brandle? I have no idea as always as always and forever Let me see him in an OTA practice one time before we decide if he's a bust or not. There's gonna be a training camp competition, I'm sure. There is going to be development, I'm sure, for Donovan Jackson. And you know what? There's always a chance that it doesn't work out the way that you want it to.

You never know on draft night. And if it doesn't work out, then I'm sure everybody will say that they should have done something else, because that's how it always goes. But the logic is very clear. And that's for me how I am always going to evaluate the draft. What was your logic at the time? The logic at the time is this. You go out and you get a guy who gives you the best possible chance to block for your valuable merchandise.

Very, very hard to be unhappy about that, I think. So that's that's my that's my feeling. Can the guy move or is he just a mauler? Oh, no, he can move. Yeah, that's my feeling. Can the guy move or is he just a mauler? Oh no, he can move. Yeah, that's the thing. Somebody give me some of his combine scores. If I open the nfl.com combine score page, it will melt this computer, I promise you.

It's that and the relative athletic score. Those websites have so many pop-up videos. So somebody give me what some of his scores were i only saw on twitter the relative athletic scores ninety percent ninetieth percentile. That's that's what you got here so if it doesn't work out it doesn't work out. What the fact that they were able to get a great athlete. At that position that's been so problematic for so long hard to be too upset about that So let's take a look that's kind of the whole take and look I don't think that your guys reactions are unreasonable when you wonder about the trade back possibilities

but as I look at the board and think about The trait who they could have gotten if they didn't like the idea of taking a safety Historically, we kind of have to agree with them. Don't we about taking a safety? Because they've developed so many of these guys for safeties They've developed the the Anthony Harris's and The cam binums they've taken them in the ad block.

Thank you. They've taken them in the middle rounds. Jahad Ward or Jahad Campbell goes to the Eagles. That's somebody I was, uh, I was interested in. Yeah. Will Johnson, man. And I guess the NFL just didn't like Luther Burton that much. I liked Luther Burton, but maybe they just didn't like him as much.

So these other picks, now, if we look at the board, now that Jahad Campbell is in, let's play the hypothetical game. Let's play the hypothetical game. Yeah. I know that Jackson was lower on the PFF big board. What do we got, Jonathan? Uh, just kind of looking, cause some of the, some people in the chat were asking what Brandon Thornton thinks.

He tweeted out a while ago after the pick. Derisaw Jackson Kelly fries O'Neal is a rock solid starting five heading into the 2025 for the Vikings. Minnesota got wrecked on the interior offensive line late in the year last season. They got bigger and stronger there, that's for sure. As for what NFL.com's prospect profile says about him. Production score, according to the next gen stats, 73, which ranked sixth among guards in the 2025 class athleticism score, 83, which ranked ninth and then total score overall 80, which ranked third in the class.

Well, and the thing about the production score is that he played tackle when he wasn't even supposed to and allowed two pressures in the final four games, including the national championship and the way there. I mean, that him getting better and better. The comp is Wyatt Teller from NFL.com. That's pretty good. Isn't Wyatt Teller good? He said, oof, isn't Wyatt Teller good? Wasn't he really good for the Browns? Thought he was.

So let's look at if they had traded down. That's something we haven't talked about. Like who would have been on the board if they had made the trade down with the Giants to allow the Giants to get Jackson Dart. So after that, just to recap, James Pierce went to the Falcons in that bat bleep crazy trade for Atlanta moving all the way up and using a next year's first, but the Rams dropped all

the way back to 46, an enormous decision for them. Then Malachi Starks went to the Ravens, somebody we talked about a lot. Tyleek Williams from Ohio State to the Lions, which I think is, that's a pretty big reach there. Josh Connery Jr. to Oregon, I'm sorry, Washington the Oregon tackle then the Bills take Maxwell Hairston and then Jahad Campbell Goes to the Philadelphia Eagles so on the board and

What we've got one more draft pick coming in here the pick is in for the Chiefs And then we'll we'll know so on the board Will Johnson who clearly has the knee issue and that's out there Luther Burden Trey Amos, Benjamin Morrison, Omar Norman lot. A defensive tackle could be interesting. Xavier Watts. Then you get into the wide receivers, Siobhan Ravel, Darius Alexander, the defensive tackle from Toledo. Those are the best players that you would have been talking about for moving back.

Now, if we compare Donovan Jackson and what he does for the offensive line, who might have had the same type of impact among all the players they passed up on? Okay, maybe if they wanted the edge player, Pierce, but Melchized Starks could have potentially been a dynamic option for them. Harrison is not that much better than any of the other of the other cornerback prospects. Um, the other guys are tackles. Jahad Campbell is interesting to me for the Vikings, but clearly they wanted the guard and then the other players on the board.

I don't know that there's anybody here that jumps out at me that says if they would have moved back and this is your most important pick that it would have been close to the impact of having a great offensive line. That's the thing. Yeah. Tell her tell her as a pro bowl guard. Yeah. So Brent says this draft could make or break quasi as a future GM.

That seems dramatic. That seems pretty dramatic. I don't know that that's true. I think that we have to look at maybe all the things they did in free agency to say that those things could make or break. But really, here's what we know. Are they going Luther Burden? Are the Chiefs going Luther Burden?

Here's what we know is going to make or break Kevin O'Connell, Quasid Aflameza. It's the guy they drafted last year, not the guy they drafted this year. That is JJ McCarthy. And oh, Josh Simmons. Oh, that's so Luther Burton didn't even get drafted in the first round. Interesting. Okay. Interesting. They must have some concerns about the personality there. That was the one thing that was out there with him was the personality, but the chiefs going tackle makes sense for them. Let's go back though. Make or break with quasi-daful Mensa.

How about spending 300 million dollars in free agency to build around your young quarterback? I think that's probably a little bit more than what degree Donovan Jackson becomes a good guard. But this off season in general was all about building for JJ McCarthy. Was it not? It was about solidifying the weaknesses that they had around the quarterback that they spent so much time investing in. And that's where Donovan Jackson comes into this mix,

but so does Will Fries and so does Ryan Kelly. All the things that they've done on this offense, re-signing TJ Hawkinson to a huge contract, extending Justin Jefferson, drafting Jordan Addison, bringing in Jordan Mason. They have built a phenomenal offensive setup for JJ McCarthy. That will make or break Quasi Adolfo Mensa and Kevin O'Connell. That's what will do it.

Whether those two guys have a successful tenure here in Minnesota or not, is going to be decided by how JJ McCarthy plays football and they have given him everything. That he needs. If Jackson works out, they have given him everything that he needs. If Jackson works out, they've given him everything. Tackles guards, veteran centers, center, running backs, receivers, tight end. I mean, my goodness, how can you build around a quarterback better than this? And then it's like, this guard will make or break quasi. Probably not, probably not.

But how can you build around a young quarterback better than this and Donovan Jackson's a final piece to that So for me if I'm grading this offseason because this is really the final piece so let's talk about that the first round has come to an end and I've only made it through a half a diet. Dr. Pepper. That's how intense this has been. The first round's coming to an end. So we'll talk for a couple more minutes. Uh, then we'll get, uh, clay intern clay, who has been, uh, grinding behind the scenes here.

We'll get his biggest reaches and biggest, um, surprises of the first round based on the consensus board. So clay, prepare yourself for that in the next couple of minutes. But since the off season is essentially ended with this draft pick, there's going to be a couple more guys that get added over the next few days, but they don't have a lot. So maybe it's a few guys undrafted free agents, but this is it. This is the last big move.

This off season was incredible for the Minnesota Vikings. When they dreamed up the competitive rebuild of moving on from Kirk Cousins and eventually to a young quarterback, they looked at other teams, the 49ers, the Eagles, and they said, how do we do that? How do we emulate these teams that have created environments for quarterbacks that can make Jaylen hurts a Superbowl winner that can make Brock Purdy one drive from a Superbowl winner? Those are great quarterbacks, but they're not the best quarterbacks ever. But how can we set them up to be as good as they possibly can? And they went into a playoff game. And they got their butts whooped on the offensive line.

So they went into free agency and they said, $17 million for you veteran proven center to guide our quarterback, who's a great pass protector for you. First round guard for you. We're going to protect our quarterback who's a great pass protector for you. First round guard for you. We're going to protect this quarterback. We're not going to let that happen again. We're not going to let it happen again. What happened to Darnold in the playoff game?

What happened to Kirk in the playoff game? You guys remember the check down from Kirk? Why did he check it down? Why? Because a guard got beat. So they said, we're not going to do that again. We're going to get the best possible chance to build a great offensive line. We're going to start there and we're going to keep a receiver.

We're going to draft a receiver. We're going to get a running back that is talented and Aaron Jones and proven and then add another guy behind him and they did this all in the matter of a couple of off seasons. And then on the defensive side, they were able to bolster the interior pass rush, which has been their biggest weakness. I don't know what you could do better in this off season. I really don't add one more safety, add one more corner, which they might do in free agency or in a trade for somebody.

I truly don't know what they could do better, uh, in this off season. And this is the final piece to giving JJ McCarthy every chance to be a successful quarterback because they will live or die on that. And you can never say they didn't do enough to help them. They gave them the best quarterback whisperer coach they could find. I mean, my goodness, sometimes it does feel like they've done so much right here that we're like, can we nitpick at something? Why didn't they take the 99th pick from the giants like that?

It just feels like, well, is that worth losing out on someone who could help Donovan Jackson? I'm sorry. Help JJ McCarthy in Donovan Jackson. And it looks like they can. So that's where I stand on it. I stand on this off season as a total dream scenario for the Vikings when they got here and they said, how can we get from point A to be a real Superbowl

contender? This is how and over the next couple of years, you're trying to compete for a Superbow contender. This is how. And over the next couple years, you're trying to compete for a Super Bowl legitimately. I didn't think they could do it without tanking. And yet here they are. And they've done it. So wow. I could tell you from my texts that Jeremiah Searles is pumped about this. I can't wait to have him on the show to break down Donovan Jackson. Kevin O'Connell on Donovan Jackson. Jonathan's provided this quote, the idea of Donovan walking into that O-line room and now has some pretty impactful players across the board.

There was something, uh, there was something that was a goal. That was something that was a goal. And I think tonight really put a stamp on that plan we set out to accomplish. That's right. So Kevin O'Connell That's another thing the Vikings usually tell you what's up He told you they're gonna improve the interior of the offensive line and they did everything they could to do that so final thoughts are

This has been an absolute fan test, you know, hey look Casey says Quacey and ko co and two in the first round of the playoffs. Well, first of all, thank you for that information second of all That's the point. That's the point. Why did they lose those games? Because they couldn't block in the biggest moments So you can't oh they drafted a guard in the first, but they lost the playoff games because of the guards. I don't know. Anyway. So I think that this offensive line has a chance to be top five in the NFL,

and that is something that's worth being excited about. Uh, Searles will definitely be on for sure. 100 percent. He's going to be on pretty soon. So that's how that's how I'm closing the night to me. This closes the book, by the way, like the competitive rebuild era and all that sort of stuff. Yes, it's time, folks.

Last year was fun. It was it was a grand to I had a good time. 14 wins until the playoffs. Surprise. Hey, look, the Vikings. But now this is a complete team with a complete offensive line with Donovan Jackson. And a complete defense that maybe could use one more player that they'll probably get in free agency, a backup quarterback.

They got to get that. Hey, maybe they could take Shadr Sanders in the third round. That looks like where he's gonna go So whose fault is it that the Vikings lost? I mean, it's everybody's but was it not the offensive line now I was there. I flew all the way to Arizona to watch I Seemed to notice that it was the offensive line But I could be wrong They only got pressured on about 70% of the drop backs.

So maybe it wasn't. I don't know. But the point just being that this this off season has been every single thing that everyone asked for coming out of that playoff game. And now the time is here. JJ McCarthy. He's been around the team.

He knows the offense. He's ready to go physically and off you go to compete. For the NFC North, compete in the playoffs, build a team that's much better suited to compete in the playoffs. That is a really, really good off season. And one thing that I just would not worry about so much is if the guy was ranked 32nd or something

on a consensus board and he was taken before that, because the next guard is gonna go in the middle of tomorrow. So they needed to get him at this point. And there you go. And then, well, and in the same way that I've always judged every other young player, it'll be everything we knew about him before.

As soon as he steps on the field as a Viking that goes away. And then we will evaluate him as a Minnesota Viking potentially starting player. But I can say the guy as far as his physical upside is extremely high and where I didn't look close enough, I think I looked at the high and where I didn't look close enough. I think I looked at the overall numbers where I didn't look close enough was how he performed at the end of the season against Oregon, Texas, Notre Dame, Oregon. You know, they had a first round defensive tackle taken. Notre Dame had a good defensive line, zero pressures in the national championship game, one pressure against Texas, zero pressures against Oregon, the biggest games at left

tackle. He's playing pretty well. So we'll see. We'll see how it goes from here. But I think that I would have to give it a high grade if you want a grade for me. How about a B plus from that? So Donovan Jackson is going to do a zoom call soon. I think I will jump on that probably, so I'll probably jump off here.

But let's get intern Clay and let's get a shout out to intern Clay here. Four hours on the clock. Well done. Popping in and out. Certainly had to wait a long time as things got dramatic. But your homework assignment for today, intern Clay, was to keep an eye on the consensus big board and compare the risers, the fallers, the who surprised us, who was the reach. So how about we go through some of those things, the biggest reaches, the biggest falls, and

you could tell, I didn't memorize where Donovan Jackson was on the consensus board. So why don't you start there and then go with those other things? Yeah, so Donovan Jackson was 36 on the big board and obviously he was taken at 24. So yes a reach but considering the guard availability, it made complete sense to take him there. Can you even find the next guard down? Yeah, So who's the next guard down? It's Marcus and Bow from Purdue. He was a bow. Yeah. And he's 63rd on the OK.

So that's that's the point, right? That's my point is that if they wanted a guard, the other guys got taken early. You had to do it here or you were really talking about not getting one until the third round. Yeah. But some of the bigger reaches Tyler Booker was the 31st player on the big board. He ended up going at 12. Then the next pick at 13, Kenneth Grant was right. 23rd actually on the, on the big board. So technically a reach there.

Gray's Abel was 33rd on the big board, but when 18 kind of saying a similar thing with these guards. Let's see. Jackson Dart was 49, but he's a quarterback. So I think the only player outside of the top six that went their actual projected big board was James Pierce. He was 26 on the big board and then the trade to get him at 26 locked it in. So and who are the best remaining on the board? Because this is relevant to if the Vikings had moved back to 34, we would be talking about who are the best players available.

Yeah. So Will Johnson still out there? Mike Green, Luther Burden, Nick, Nick and the worry Siobhan Revel, Trey Amos, Nick Scorton, Scowerton, Trayvon Henderson, a bunch of, a bunch of talented players still there, a lot of the corners. Um, so it would be interesting to see how it shakes out tomorrow. I think that what it means is they were not comfortable with missing out on the guard that they loved to then draft

a corner that maybe they like because I think they would like Amos. I think they would like Ravel, but not necessarily someone who could impact them right away, which Donovan Jackson could, and also potentially a limited ceiling or a position that they feel like they can really just fill in from free agency, which they've done over the last two years. They had a top five defense with free agents that they picked up, uh, at the cornerback position. So, uh, moving back would have, I think had a drop off in talent because my expectation is that

Jackson would have been taken by the Texans or maybe even the Eagles or maybe even the Rams there if they didn't have that crazy trade. But he probably goes to the Texans and that's why they felt like they needed to make that move. So I will say this, Clay, great work, great work tonight. Doing these check ins really appreciate all of your effort on this evening. I'm sorry that the Bears didn't draft the player that you want or they didn't trade up for Ash and Gentie.

But you know, one thing that I know for sure is that we never know on draft night how any of these things are going to turn out. There's probably picks in the past that you got super excited about that turned out to be horrible and guys who you hated that turned out to be great. So it didn't make a lot of sense to me. And I'm actually thinking about maybe it's better. The Vikings went with quasi at Alphamonza than Ryan Poles, but

that's another one you never know. So thank you for your time, sir. Appreciate you. Thank you. No matter all the uncertainty, if Vikings fans are unhappy with their pig, if I'm unhappy, there's one thing we can all agree on. Yes. Yes. Okay. Fair enough all agree on. Yes, yes. OK, fair enough. Football, baby.

People were saying people were saying that there wasn't. And this is why we do what we do, right? Like that there wasn't even a breakdown on TV of the Donovan Jackson pick. It was just all focused so much on Matthew Golden, the Packers, the pomp and circumstance, all that sort of stuff, that there wasn't even a lot of discussion at all on Donovan Jackson. And that's why we provide this service for Vikings fan. So great job, Clay.

Thank you for your time. And we will see you on Monday night, our next live stream. Intern Clay, again, purpleinsider.football. He wrote a great piece about why he loves the draft. Make sure you go check that out. He's done a great job about why he loves the draft. Make sure you go check that out. He's done a great job, uh, both on the podcast and writing as well. And also just want to throw out a couple of other thank yous to Andrew

Kramer, who kicked this thing off. Dane Mizutani, Brian Murphy, Manny Hill. These people make purple insider happen. Honestly, I people make Purple Insider happen. Honestly, I couldn't do it all myself and all of them. When I asked, hey, is it possible you guys could, you know, jump in all of them? No hesitation. Let me know when I'll jump on with you all that sort of stuff,

even though they're all busy. They're all working. Murph was umpiring a baseball game or something and then came home to jump in Manny was working So that the effort that people put in for me. I am so grateful on a night like this for them also Unbelievably grateful for all of you and even though some of you I argue with in the chat a little bit the fact that The you guys are respectful of each other, thoughtful with your commentary, ask great questions.

We had a great time tonight and you guys made that. So I really appreciate it. This was a lot of fun leading up to this draft process. All the scenarios, all the discussions and the drama of tonight with the early trade and the board falling this way and then landing on a player that is filling a position that we've talked about for so long, and we discussed Donovan Jackson multiple times, but also, hey, would they really do the receiver thing?

And there goes Derek Harman. This is why we love the draft. This is why I love it. This is why you love it. The drama was there, and now there is another guy to follow his career and see where this team goes. Also, I think you should feel pretty good about where this team is at and how they've gotten from point A to point B. And that's a fun place to be as well for you guys and for me to cover a team that has expectations this high and a quarterback with this much talent and a supporting cast like this, it has the earmarks of a team

that can truly compete going forward. And this was a final step to that. So we'll judge Donovan Jackson the same way we do everything else. Well, I'm sure always look back. Should they have traded down? Should they have not? We'll always have fun with that into the future. But for this night, very, very exciting. And what's going to happen tomorrow?

The plan is they're only picking 97th, a live stream for four hours over a 97th pick, probably not worth it. So I will be doing a reaction, though, podcast for sure to what happens tomorrow night. Make sure you keep your eyes out for that. So thank you so much again. Can't thank you enough. This was so much fun. We had a great time and we'll continue the reaction over on the newsletter purple insider dot football. I appreciate you all. Thank you so much. And I'm sorry, I didn't mention Jonathan Harrison. Just real quick on Jonathan Harrison.

He worked his ass off on our draft guide over a purple insider dot football. Put an unbelievable amount of work. The thing looks beautiful. Donovan Jackson has a write up in there. So make sure you check that out as well. Him popping in and out operating stuff from behind the scenes, all that stuff. He makes this thing work on a daily basis. So I obviously cannot forget him either. That's my thank yous.

I look forward to what's next. All right. Take care everybody. Football. Let's go.