NFL Draft
1/9/25
6 min read
Donovan Jackson 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Ohio State Buckeyes Guard
Height: 6040 (unofficial)
Weight: 320lbs (unofficial)
Year: Senior
Pro Comparison: Josh Ezeudu
Scouting Overview
Ohio State Buckeyes offensive guard Donovan Jackson projects as a developmental offensive guard at the pro level. Jackson has apparent physical ability but has struggled to consistently unlock the fullest extent of his abilities on account of punch timing & placement, footwork lapses, and the need for better awareness of schemed rushers in pass protection.
He operates best as a phone booth worker, yet he showed admirable fight when charged with stepping in at left tackle for the Buckeyes down the stretch amid the injury to LT Josh Simmons. Jackson has enough athleticism and strength to serve as a viable option in any kind of run scheme, but he will need further coaching to develop the technical consistency required to bat at a high average at the point of attack and in pass protection.
2025 NFL Combine Results
TBD
Positives
- Possesses strong grip strength to latch and secure defenders once his hands are fit on their chest
- Has enough core and upper-body strength to absorb power rushes that attempt to work through his frame
- Likable movement at the point of attack on solo blocks & double teams that hit between the tackles
Negatives
- Feet look heavy in space, and teams who can isolate him in protection can test his gravitational pull on the edges of his blocks
- Punch placement and timing are inconsistent and allow defenders to work into his frame and put him on the defensive
- Shows late reactions and poor anticipation for the need to reframe his set out of stance against delayed pressure or loopers
Background
Jackson is from Bellaire, TX, and played high school football for Episcopal HS. There, he was a highly coveted recruit who also threw shot put and discus. A 5-star prospect (247 Sports), Jackson garnered strong national interest and was graded as one of the 10 best recruits in his class. He received offers from Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, LSU, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M, and many others before committing to Ohio State.
There, he received playing time at both guard spots as a true freshman in 2021 and claimed a starting role with the team as the left guard in 2022 as a true sophomore. Jackson has been named First Team All-Big Ten in each of his three seasons as a starter in Columbus (2022-2024) and was also named a First Team All-American for his efforts as a senior in 2024. Jackson did so despite taking one for the team and kicking to left tackle for the second half of the season.
Tale Of The Tape
Jackson looks exactly like the prototype you’d expect for an NFL guard. He’s got a broad frame and a stout build, which offers him the necessary strength in all phases of the position to be an effective player. That said, he’s betrayed by some finer points that cancel out his natural strength and apparent athletic ability.
Jackson offers a robust resume as a starter at Ohio State and has seen a lot of football. He’ll be physically prepared for the rigors of blocking NFL talent, but his technique and discipline will be the defining variable for how much success he finds and how quickly he attains it.
Jackson illustrates a stout punch and good lower-body strength to gear down power rushes in pass protection. His punches are mostly consistent and offer a higher strike rate average on the chest of defenders when he’s short-setting vs. half a man in protection. When he’s charged with setting to close space and getting head up on a defender out of his stance, he can be guilty of overcommitting and leaving his far hand vacant and vulnerable to counters that slant back across his momentum — lateral redirection quickness is not a strength, and he does at times play tall. When he can simply short-set and frame a defender inside out, he’s more consistent in securing the block and then leaning on his grip strength to wall off.
When left unoccupied in the pocket, Jackson does well to use his eyes and identify opportunities for work to attack defenders who may be testing his guard or center. Jackson offers power in these opportunities to knock engaged rushers off their base.
His anticipation for twist games can be more crisp. However, loopers or delayed pressure from the second level can eat him up as he overcommits to the first color to cross his face. When charged with picking up a twist, he can be late to re-work his hands and struggles to slide and frame, leaving the defender free to pinball off his hip and peel up into the pocket.
In the run game, Jackson is most effective with vertical releases off the line of scrimmage. This is included in solo blocks and double teams, where he can collect the most of a defender’s frame flush on his hands and chest before rooting his feet to create forward momentum to create space.
He’s effective in these close-quarters opportunities, although in short-yardage situations, defenders coiled in a four-point stance can successfully shoot and get under his pads to create a pile. Jackson’s anticipation of landmarks in zone concepts can betray him at times; he’s not the most quick-footed player, and moving targets can best him as he tries to dial up and secure the appropriate hat placement. In these instances, Jackson can cede penetration upfield and force his back into cutting back.
As a space blocker, Jackson is most effective for his initial charge out of his stance to climb to the second level but then more impactful in how big he is to force defenders to run over the top or underneath of his real estate as compared to actually mirroring and securing blocks in space.
If you’re looking for blockers who consistently secure over the top flow and wash them out, Jackson may not be the right fit.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Jackson projects best to an inside zone and between-the-tackles heavy run scheme. He’s an NFL guard through and through despite his reps this season at tackle and is at his best when the landmarks and fringes of his blocking radius are not tested.
Allowing him to work in vertical angles can help him draw more consistent hand fits and block framing to generate the expected movement based on his functional strength. Jackson should be considered a developmental starter.
Grade: 72.50/100.00, Fourth Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
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