OG Donovan Jackson

[greediron]

That makes me cringe every time I hear it. If I remember right, that was said about Willie Beavers, who'd be on my list for worst draft pick in our history. I know others would probably list Treadwell or Williamson, but Beavers was up there for me because I thought he was just horrible in college (and worse at the Senior Bowl). I don't often have players on a "must-not-draft" list, but Beavers was. And of course we took him in the 4th round.

That is what I remember.  Did he even stick on the team for a year?

[MaroonBells]

That is what I remember.  Did he even stick on the team for a year?

Nope, cut before the season started. A 4th rounder cut. He went to the Pats after that and was released a week later, came back to the Vikes, they put him on the practice squad (clearly not worried about him getting pinched), then released a week after that.

[purplefaithful]

Wyatt Davis (for me) is the one that was such a big miss for a 3rd rounder.

Interesting AI takes:

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Ohio State offensive guard Wyatt Davis with the 86th overall pick in the third round. Davis, a two-time All-American, was considered a strong addition to the Vikings' offensive line, potentially contributing immediately. He is known for his size, strength, and pedigree, being the grandson of Hall of Famer Willie Davis.

Wyatt Davis's NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings was largely unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including showing up to training camp out of shape, struggling with injuries, and a steep learning curve in adapting to the mental aspects of the professional game. He was drafted in the third round (86th overall) in 2021, but ultimately failed to secure a starting role and was waived before the 2022 season.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Physical Condition:
Davis arrived at his first NFL training camp noticeably out of shape, which hindered his performance and ability to compete for a starting position.

Injuries:
A knee injury he had been playing through during his final season at Ohio State continued to bother him during his NFL career, further impacting his performance and availability.

Mental Game:
Davis reportedly struggled with the mental demands of the NFL, including the playbook, gameplanning, and overall speed of the game, which required a significant adjustment from his college experience.

Competition:
Even when healthy, Davis faced stiff competition for playing time at right guard, including from veterans and other young players.

Draft Position:
Despite being a highly touted prospect, Davis's draft stock fell due to his injury concerns, and he ultimately didn't live up to the expectations associated with his draft position.

[Montana Tom]

Saw an interesting segment on how young QBs can make offensive lines look bad — holding the ball too long, passing up easy completions for hero plays, relying too much on athletic ability to buy time, slow recognition of coverage, failure to check out of plays or adjust protection…

With what we hope will be a stud OL, will be interesting to watch how JJ operates…

I believe Darnold held the ball longer than any other QB in the NFL last year, if I recall the stat correctly.  (Actually, I was close...he was 3rd at 3.08 avg seconds)

Some said that this was the reason he was able to hit so many deep balls.
I am thinking that we just lucked out...that holding onto the ball too long was and will continue to be Sam's achilles.

It was a fun run last year, but I really feel like we dodged the bullet.  We got the "good Sam" for one season.  Glad he got paid in Seattle, but when he laid an egg, it was like an ostrich egg.

[medaille]

I believe Darnold held the ball longer than any other QB in the NFL last year, if I recall the stat correctly.  (Actually, I was close...he was 3rd at 3.08 avg seconds)

Some said that this was the reason he was able to hit so many deep balls.
I am thinking that we just lucked out...that holding onto the ball too long was and will continue to be Sam's achilles.

It was a fun run last year, but I really feel like we dodged the bullet.  We got the "good Sam" for one season.  Glad he got paid in Seattle, but when he laid an egg, it was like an ostrich egg.

Holding the ball along time is how our offense is designed.  KOC is trying to get explosive pass plays on longer timed passing concepts.

[greediron]

Wyatt Davis (for me) is the one that was such a big miss for a 3rd rounder.

Interesting AI takes:

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Ohio State offensive guard Wyatt Davis with the 86th overall pick in the third round. Davis, a two-time All-American, was considered a strong addition to the Vikings' offensive line, potentially contributing immediately. He is known for his size, strength, and pedigree, being the grandson of Hall of Famer Willie Davis.

Wyatt Davis's NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings was largely unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including showing up to training camp out of shape, struggling with injuries, and a steep learning curve in adapting to the mental aspects of the professional game. He was drafted in the third round (86th overall) in 2021, but ultimately failed to secure a starting role and was waived before the 2022 season.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Physical Condition:
Davis arrived at his first NFL training camp noticeably out of shape, which hindered his performance and ability to compete for a starting position.

Injuries:
A knee injury he had been playing through during his final season at Ohio State continued to bother him during his NFL career, further impacting his performance and availability.

Mental Game:
Davis reportedly struggled with the mental demands of the NFL, including the playbook, gameplanning, and overall speed of the game, which required a significant adjustment from his college experience.

Competition:
Even when healthy, Davis faced stiff competition for playing time at right guard, including from veterans and other young players.

Draft Position:
Despite being a highly touted prospect, Davis's draft stock fell due to his injury concerns, and he ultimately didn't live up to the expectations associated with his draft position.

That seems more like a miss on the drive/mental aspects.  Somewhat more forgivable than picking a guy who couldn't play the position.

But it was certainly a blow to our line, I don't remember the "stiff" competition being anything other than stiffs.

---

I believe Darnold held the ball longer than any other QB in the NFL last year, if I recall the stat correctly.  (Actually, I was close...he was 3rd at 3.08 avg seconds)

Some said that this was the reason he was able to hit so many deep balls.
I am thinking that we just lucked out...that holding onto the ball too long was and will continue to be Sam's achilles.

It was a fun run last year, but I really feel like we dodged the bullet.  We got the "good Sam" for one season.  Glad he got paid in Seattle, but when he laid an egg, it was like an ostrich egg.

His face definitely looked like he was laying an ostrich egg.

I agree, it was a fun ride until it wasn't. But glad we have a young future rather than overpaying for a shaky vet.

[purplefaithful]

Darnold got exposed when the OL got exposed...

I dont expect he'll put up the same stats in SEA that he did here (an even weaker surround).

It was time to move on to the JJM investment, but there is a (small) part of me that will always wonder what he would do here with a beefed-up line.

[medaille]

Darnold got exposed when the OL got exposed...

I dont expect he'll put up the same stats in SEA that he did here (an even weaker surround).

It was time to move on to the JJM investment, but there is a (small) part of me that will always wonder what he would do here with a beefed-up line.

I think part of the issue is that our offense is really designed to get stuff open down the field.  I think we really struggled when teams could put pressure on us quickly.  I just don't think we had schematic answers when the requirement was "get the ball out quickly" or "lean on the running game" because so much of our scheme is how to get our receivers a 15+ yard reception.

I think it was incredibly important for us to bring in a better OLine no matter who was QB or RB.

[StickierBuns]

I think it was incredibly important for us to bring in a better OLine no matter who was QB or RB.

Thats what the 2025 offseason FA period was going to be all about: O-line and D-Line changes. And the team went for it. And hopefully they hit on Jackson and Ingram-Dawkins moving forward.

[MaroonBells]

Mental Game:
Davis reportedly struggled with the mental demands of the NFL, including the playbook, gameplanning, and overall speed of the game, which required a significant adjustment from his college experience.

I remember posting at the time wondering if Davis might not just be an idiot. I'd bet this lack of mental aptitude is behind more busts than we realize, because it's not something either side is going to talk about much.