Right now, there’s a lot of chatter about improving Minnesota’s leaky o-line, a front five that tends to struggle primarily along the interior.
Maybe the most attractive option for improvement is to sink major money into a top-tier free agent, but that comes with the downside of shrinking the budget by a considerable margin. Any chance the Vikings’ in-house options prove capable of helping? More specifically, are either of Walter Rouse or Michael Jurgens capable of elevating their game to a level where they can get plugged into a starting spot along the o-line?
The Vikings’ In-House Reinforcements for the O-Line
So far, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has completely whiffed when it comes to bolstering the offensive line through the draft.
The 2022 draft class involved snagging right guard Ed Ingram and offensive tackle Vederian Lowe. Before ever getting a chance to carve out a meaningful role, Lowe was traded away. Meanwhile, Ingram did enough to hold onto the RG1 job for two-and-a-half seasons before (mercifully) surrendering the top spot to Dalton Risner (who had never played right guard in his NFL career).
The best guess at this stage is that Mr. Ingram will be cut in the offseason.
In 2023, there wasn’t a single offensive lineman added among the half dozen selections. So, no help for the o-line arrived within that crew.
Keep in mind, as well, that undrafted free agency — an area where Adofo-Mensah has done well — hasn’t offered any lasting options for the offensive line, at least not in terms of anyone who has proven capable of being a starter. Go ahead and consider all of the players who have been added as UDFAs under the current GM; it’s not an inspiring haul of o-line talent.
We shift gears, then, by moving into who was added in 2024. On Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft, Adofo-Mensah snagged offensive tackle Walter Rouse (RD6 — No. 177 overall) and center/guard Michael Jurgens (RD7 — No. 230 overall).
Both players made the 53-man roster in 2024 but neither played a large role. For the most part, the depth linemen were inactive. Rouse was involved in a single game, playing 6 snaps on special teams. Jurgens was active for three games, playing 12 snaps on special teams.
Of the two, Rouse would appear to have more upside. The 6’6″, 313-pound lineman was drafted higher, yes, but it’s also about his youth — being 23 whereas Jurgens is already 25 — alongside some of what was said about him after the draft. Per the GM, the “sky is the limit” for Rouse, someone who can be a “bully” (a great compliment for an offensive lineman).
One wonders if the path forward for Rouse in Minnesota involves kicking inside. Plenty of college tackles need to shift inside at the next level — Blake Brandel and Dalton Risner are a pair of examples — so the possibility isn’t exactly far-fetched. After all, Minnesota is well setup at OT with the starting tandem of Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill.
For the most part, Minnesota’s offensive line has been relying on highly-drafted players. Darrisaw and Garrett Bradbury went in the 1st; O’Neill, Risner, and Ingram went in the 2nd. Brandel stands out as someone who successfully navigated being a late-round selection to becoming a starter among the front five. Ironically, Brandel may offer the most promise for the players currently along the iOL.
Seeing either of Walter Rouse or Michael Jurgens elevate their game to such a level that they could not only make the team but actually push for a spot in the lineup would be a major, major boost for Minnesota. All of the sudden, players who weren’t even a lock to make the final roster are on the field making a positive difference. Successful teams need these players, guys who outperform expectations, making executives and coaches look smart along the way.
As the offseason competition unfolds, keep an eye on Rouse and Jurgens.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.