Vikings legend Randall McDaniel gives his take on rookie Donovan Jackson

As soon as rookie offensive guard Donovan Jackson was selected by the Vikings in the first round of the NFL Draft he started hearing his name in the same sentence as legendary offensive guard Randall McDaniel It makes sense It s been nearly years since the Vikings have invested such premium draft capital into the interior of the offensive line The selection of Jackson marked the first time the Vikings have used a first-round pick on an offensive guard since they selected McDaniel in the first round of the the NFL Draft I will get out there at particular point and make the official greeting McDaniel commented I m looking forward to that Here s an excerpt of our chat with McDaniel Q What are your first impressions of Donovan from afar A I definitely like what I m hearing The things that he s been saying are all great Just a typical offensive lineman He does all the right things Just watching him play at Ohio State loved him moving out to tackle help the squad out That s what offensive linemen do Q How hard is that to do It seems like it s more formidable than people think A It all happens so hurriedly inside You can work with the center or the tackle You re on an island sliding outside The technique perfectly changes up You have to stop and think That s the hard part You re used to reacting hurriedly so when things change there s a hesitation for a brief moment You ve got to make sure the technique is sound in order to combat that It s all about the group That s how we operate We re not worried about ourselves We re going to bring our lunch pails to work and get our job done That s what I love to see just that he was willing to step out and get the job done Q What else stands out about his play style watching him on film A They were known for running that ball I liked that I like the way he gets after it He finishes his blocks and initiates it I m an old school lineman anytime I get to see a young kid run blocking I get excited I love that he made that switch and stepped up and played particular tackle when they had several injuries He did the job That s dependably good to see You have to be willing to do things to help the association win Q How much has the competition changed since you were playing A It s a lot different These guys are a lot bigger There s a lot more passing You would think with the size of these guys that they would be running the ball more but it s all about passing That s how it s supposed to be When I came out the guys that played before me would say You guys don t play like we do I would be like It s a different battle now It s the same thing now I would be too small That s part of the championship It s exciting It s fun to watch the young kids come up and see the things that they can do It s their time and I enjoy watching them play Q Would you be willing to be an ear for Donovan All offensive linemen have to stick together right A When I first came into the NFL I had specific of the older offensive linemen kind of show me the ropes It was great being able to pick their brains I will offer that up to him If that s something he s interested in I m more than willing to do that Related Articles How the Vikings adopted their new mantra MORE IS REQUIRED Vikings quarterback J J McCarthy I know I m ready to start Andrew Van Ginkel gets big raise from Vikings Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer headlines UDFAs for Vikings Which prospects are joining the Vikings Meet the full draft class