Purple Rumor Mill: Betting Odds for the Draft Pick, Walter Rouse, a New CB
There’s rarely a lull in Minnesota Vikings rumors, so we keep track of them for every week in articles on Saturdays and Sundays.
Vikings Rumors: Betting Odds for the Draft Pick, Walter Rouse, a New CB
The rumor mill is especially popping with the NFL draft in just 11 days, an event where Minnesota will pick at least four new players.
So, with not long remaining until then, these are the current Vikings rumors for Sunday, April 13th. All previous rumors can be found in this spot.
Rumor: Cornerback is the odds-on favorite for Minnesota’s draft choice.
Per sportsbooks, these are the odds for the purple team’s first draft choice by position:
- Cornerback = +170
- Safety = +300
- Offensive Line = +340
- Defensive Line = +470
And if that’s accurate about corner, these would be Minnesota’s CB possibilities at No. 24 or via trade back:
- Trey Amos (Ole Miss)
- Jahdae Barron (Texas)
- Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky)
- Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame)
- Shavon Revel Jr. (East Carolina)
- Azaraeye’h Thomas (Florida State)
Rumor: Offensive lineman Walter Rouse, a rookie from 2024, could switch to guard.
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson joined SKOR North this week, explaining on Purple Daily with Phil Mackey and Judd Zulgad that Rouse could move from tackle to guard.
“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.
If the change comes to fruition, the Vikings might have a three-way battle at left guard this summer between Rouse, Blake Brandel, and Michael Jurgens.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke with the media at the Annual League Meeting earlier this month and was asked about Brandel to see if he would once again grab a starter’s job in 2025.
“I think Blake [Brandel] and [Michael] Jurgens both inside we’d like to see them at a variety of different spots, but I think if we went out and played right now I think that’s the way we would likely look. Long way to go, still some options, opportunities with our four draft picks. And ultimately we’ll see what it looks like,” O’Connell said.
That sounds like a spot that is up for grabs.
Rumor: Jack Jones, freshly released by the Las Vegas Raiders, could join the Vikings.
Las Vegas Review Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore wrote Monday, “The Raiders waived cornerback Jack Jones on Monday after failing to find a trade partner for him. The move saves the team $3.4 million in cap space. Jones will be a free agent if he clears waivers.”
“The Raiders claimed Jones, 27, off waivers from the Patriots late in the 2023 season. The driving force behind the decision was then-interim coach Antonio Pierce, who coached Jones in high school at Long Beach Poly in California and college at Arizona State. Jones, listed at 5 feet, 11 inches and 175 pounds, was New England’s fourth-round pick in 2022.”
Minnesota had a draft visit with Jones three years ago, and when the New England Patriots cut him in the middle of the 2023 season, the Vikings put in a waiver claim.
Jones obviously hasn’t signed in Minnesota yet, but there is documented past interest. Otherwise, Minnesota’s CB room is somewhat crowded before the draft.
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