Vikings introduce Donovan Jackson, who has cat named 'Leonardo DiCatio'

Vikings introduce first round pick Donovan Jackson [RAW]

The Vikings introduced offensive lineman Donovan Jackson at TCO Performance Center on Friday after taking him No. 24 overall in the NFL Draft on Thursday.

EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Vikings introduced first round draft pick Donovan Jackson on Friday at a news conference at TCO Performance Center, after taking him with the No. 24 overall pick in the NFL Draft Thursday night.

He held up a purple No. 74 jersey, worn last year by Cam Robinson, alongside Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the ownership team. Perhaps the most telling item he revealed to local media? He’s the owner of a cat who went viral on social media Thursday night. The cat’s name? Leonardo DiCatio.

"We call him Leo. His government name is Leonardo DiCatio. I didn’t know he was going to make an appearance until I saw it on my phone hours later," Jackson said.

Getting the call

What we know:

The Vikings were on the clock with the No. 24 pick, and many thought they would move down in the draft. They stayed, and beefed up their offensive line with Jackson, who played four seasons at Ohio State and just came of winning a College Football Playoff national title.

He joked with his parents after that he now doesn’t have to move back home, and he has a full-time job.

"When I got the call, I was like ‘Man, that’s really cool.’ And then I got here and this is like my first day at work. That was a pretty cool feeling. Now I have a job, it’s a lot more real now," Jackson said.

Guard to tackle

Why you should care:

Jackson started 31 career games for the Buckeyes at left guard. Then because of injuries along the offensive line, he switched to left tackle for the final nine games. That included a run to a national championship.

"We say the world selfless often. You’re talking about everything on the line for his personal future, and what he did for his team and it resulted in a national championship run is something he should be proud of," Adofo-Mensah said.

He said when it comes to the Vikings, he doesn’t have a preference between guard and tackle.

"Just like in college, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win," Jackson said.

Top-30 visit

Dig deeper:

One of Jackson’s top-30 visits before the NFL Draft was to Minnesota and TCO Performance Center. It was then that the vision of being drafted by the Vikings got more real.

"I knew after the visit this is where I wanted to be. I know I’m in a place where I’m needed and wanted," Jackson said.

The Vikings made a concerted effort to increase their physicality at the line of scrimmage. They signed center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries in free agency. With drafting Jackson, the emphasis is clearly to protect J.J. McCarthy after Sam Darnold got sacked 48 times last season.

Timeline:

The Vikings start on-field offseason workouts at TCO Performance Center next week. Rookie mini camp for draft picks and undrafted college free agents starts May 9.