Vikings Draft Class Signed

Lost in the excitement of the NFL Schedule Release on Wednesday was the news that the Minnesota Vikings signed first round pick Donovan Jackson. The team’s entire 2025 Draft Class is now under contract and ready to focus on their first season of professional football. 

Donovan Jackson was selected with the 24th pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Ohio State guard is the final piece of a complete overhaul of the Vikings interior offensive line. While it’s expected that he’ll initially “compete” with incumbent Blake Brandel at left guard, Jackson is probably penciled in as the team’s starter. The writing may already be in ink. The Vikings wouldn’t have ignored a variety of trade offers for the 24th pick if they hadn’t targeted Jackson and didn’t have immediate plans for him.

Minnesota Vikings 2025 Draft Class

1. Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State

3. Tai Felton, WR, Maryland

5. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DL

6. Kobe King, LB, Penn State

6. Gavin Bartholemew, TE, Pittsburgh

The Vikings signed the other four members of the 2025 Draft Class last week. Those signings were completed in advance of last weekend’s Rookie Minicamp. As a fan with little patience, it never ceases to frustrate me when the Vikings show no urgency in completing the procedural work of signing draft picks. Since the installation of the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement, rookie contracts are pretty much scripted. There really isn’t much negotiation required. Why wait in getting the rookie deals done? I should just relax and let the process play. Every year, all of the Vikings rookies are signed long before they assemble for training camp. That’s the real deadline for this process. Right? I should just relax on this but I can’t. I believe there was one year during the Mike Zimmer-Rick Spielman days when the entire Draft Class was signed in advance of the rookie minicamp. That was a wonderful time and that was a year when the minicamp was the weekend following the draft. This year is close to that beautiful year. Granted, the Vikings had only five players to sign. Four signed two weeks after they were drafted. Donovan Jackson just under three weeks after he was drafted. 

The schedule has finally been released. The Vikings have signed their entire draft class. The roster is at the  limit. Now, the football focus is finally on the on-field work and preparation for the 2025 season.