Young Vikings Player May Switch Positions
The Minnesota Vikings’ offensive line underwent momentous change last month, onboarding two interior linemen from the Indianapolis Colts via free agency: center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries.
Young Vikings Player May Switch Positions
The two will start instantly, replacing Garrett Bradbury and Dalton Risner, respectively, with only one offensive line mystery remaining — who will play left guard? Blake Brandel is the frontrunner, as he owned the starter’s job in 2024, but one young Viking is evidently weighing a position change from tackle to guard.
He’s Walter Rouse, a second-year tackle from the 2024 draft.
Walter Rouse to Guard?
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson joined SKOR North this week, dropping the Rouse knowledge on Purple Daily with Phil Mackey and Judd Zulgad.
“I’m told, his camp feels like there’s more of a pathway to playing time at some point at guard vs tackle. Don’t sleep on the possibility of him playing guard, getting guard reps, working more so at the guard position, not the tackle position,” Wolfson said.
Rouse previously hinted at his versatility, too, on VikesNow, a show affiliated with VikingsTerritory, last May. He said if the Vikings need him to play guard, he’d be “the best guard anyone’s ever seen.”
The Pathway to More Playing Time
Minnesota’s offensive tackle positions are totally spoken for, with Christian Darrisaw holding down the left side and Brian O’Neill on the right. Neither player is going anywhere anytime soon, and Rouse apparently believes the left guard role is one he could snatch with a productive summer.
It’s worth noting that if Rouse switched positions, the move wouldn’t have to be eternal. He could showcase continual position flexibility. For example, if Darrisaw or O’Neill fell injured, well, Rouse could slide in for assistance. That would not be fundamentally ruled out if he switched from tackle to guard on the depth chart.
Rouse would have a smoother path to snaps at left guard in 2025 than at offensive tackle. Darrisaw and O’Neill won’t be benched, but Brandel’s job is gettable.
A Draft Hint
Perhaps Rouse’s would-be shift to guard is another draft hint. The event is about two weeks away, and some onlookers insist that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could select a guard with the team’s first pick. Men like Tyler Booker (Alabama), Grey Zabel (North Dakota State), and Donovan Jackson (Ohio State) could fit the criteria.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper even connected Jackson to Minnesota in his final mock draft this week.
Theoretically, if Rouse’s switch to guard was on the menu for quite some time, plus factoring in Brandel and second-year interior lineman Michael Jurgens into the mix, Minnesota might have enough guard options to fulfill a roster need for the long term.
That is — if Rouse, Brandel, and Jurgens are all options at left guard in 2025 and beyond, well, would Adofo-Mensah really need another guard?
Diminished OT Depth if So
Assume Rouse’s pivot to guard materialized for good — the Vikings would eventually need another tackle for depth purposes. The team has not re-signed David Quessenberry through one month of free agency, instead adding Justin Skule, a tackle formerly of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Minnesota also has Trevor Reid and LeRoy Watson on the depth chart, but those men are closer to practice squad talents.
If Rouse is on his way to guard, the Vikings could draft a tackle later this month, especially if it trades back during the event to stockpile more picks.
Kevin O’Connell on Rouse Last Year
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell hinted at Rouse’s versatility last year, so the guard duty isn’t new.
“The growth we’ve already seen, both at the right tackle position, I do believe he’s going to have the ability to play some guard also. He’s very smart, he’s very physical, strong, stout player. Like every young offensive lineman in the NFL, coming into the NFL, pass pro is always what you’re working technique and fundamentals on,” O’Connell said last year.
VikingsTerritory‘s own Kyle Joudry wrote about Rouse last September: “The 6’6″, 313-pound lineman got some playing time at left tackle, right tackle, and right guard. More specifically, Mr. Rouse was a left tackle for 70 snaps, a right tackle for 46 snaps, and a right guard for 21 snaps. So, dabbling at a few different spots across the line.”
“He didn’t allow a sack, but there were a couple of QB hits and 4 pressures allowed. Not perfect, not disastrous. Room to grow.”
Rouse’s possible transition to guard may actually be more about fruition.
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