Delayed Position Change Could Save Former Vikings Draftee
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired earlier this offseason in part because of his subpar results in the draft. Several of his picks have already departed. In fact, not a single one from his 2022 class remains on the team beyond their rookie contracts and most of them didn’t even survive long enough to see their contracts expire.
The next player on the chopping block could be offensive tackle Walter Rouse. His problem is that he is a tackle that seemingly hasn’t earned the trust of his coaching staff, which is a serious problem two years in. Furthermore, the Vikings have two established offensive tackles on the roster and signed backup Ryan Van Demark last month.
Last year, Rouse started the season as the fourth tackle behind the two starters and backup Justin Skule, but on some occasions, the staff preferred to move Blake Brandel back to tackle over giving the 2024 pick a shot.
He’s once again the fourth tackle on the depth chart and more competition could arrive in the draft or in the undrafted rookie class. Rouse’s way out could be a position change to guard.
That idea has been floated for a while. Darren Wolfson commented on Skor North last year, “Walter Rouse, I’m told, his camp feels like there’s more of a pathway to playing time at some point at guard versus tackle. If you’re thinking Walter Rouse, draft pick last year, is more a tackle, just saying, don’t sleep on the possibility of him playing guard, getting guard reps, working more so at the guard position, not the tackle position.”
Currently, the two starting guards, Donovan Jackson and Will Fries, are back for Year 2, but the depth is questionable. Backup guard Brandel is the favorite to open the season as the starting center. Other backup guard candidates include 2025 undrafted rookie Joe Huber, as well as practice squad veterans Henry Byrd and Vershon Lee.
A position change and a strong offseason could catapult Rouse to the top interior backup spot.
Interestingly, head coach Kevin O’Connell has been on the Rouse to guard train for a while, hinting at the transition ahead of the 2024 season: “The growth we’ve already seen, both at the right tackle position ‒ I do believe he’s gonna have the ability to play some guard also. It’s not something you start him out in his NFL journey, bouncing around [in] different spots on the line.”
He entered the league as a 6th-rounder in 2024. Starting 52 games in college, first at Stanford and then at Oklahoma, Rouse possesses ideal measurements for a tackle at 6’6″ and 313 lbs, with 35″ arms.
O’Connell added in 2024, “He’s a very smart, physical, strong, stout player. Like every young offensive lineman coming into the NFL, pass protection is always what you’re working technique and fundamentals on, you can’t just overpower everybody anymore.”
PFF loved his final college season. Rouse ranked first among offensive tackles in pass-blocking efficiency in FBS football, and he didn’t give up a sack in the entire 2023 campaign.
In his NFL career, he has appeared in 8 games, logging 88 offensive snaps and 38 on special teams. All offensive snaps came at left and right tackle as a replacement for Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. He played 21 snaps at right guard in his first preseason.
In less than two weeks, Rouse will be one of many players watching the draft and hoping his team addresses other needs. If a third-round guard joins the club on April 24, the Rouse experience in Minnesota could be over sooner rather than later.
At 25, entering his third season preparation, the upcoming months will be crucial for Rouse’s career path.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.