A long-armed swing tackle who started 52 college games between Stanford and Oklahoma before Minnesota drafted him for his length and pass-blocking upside.
Walter Rouse built a reputation as one of the most reliable left tackles in college football across five seasons at Stanford and Oklahoma before Minnesota took him in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Standing 6-foot-6 with 35-inch arms, he projects as a developmental swing tackle for the Vikings.
Path to the league
Rouse started 39 of 40 games at left tackle for Stanford from 2019 to 2022 before transferring to Oklahoma for a graduate season in 2023, where he started all 13 games. He posted the eighth-highest pass-blocking grade among tackles in the 2024 draft class. The Minnesota Vikings selected him with the 177th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Rouse's calling card is his length and pass protection, traits that made him a four-year starter at a Power Five program before adding a strong grad-transfer season at Oklahoma. He has spent his early NFL career developing as offensive tackle depth for Minnesota.
2025 season recap
Rouse made Minnesota's 53-man roster for the 2025 season but saw limited action, appearing in six games without a start and logging 88 offensive snaps and 27 special-teams snaps, largely working as a backup tackle behind the Vikings' starting line.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Walter Rouse
- Pro Football Reference: Walter Rouse
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- Oklahoma
- Hometown
- Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
