Walter Rouse, OT, Oklahoma
Size:
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 313 pounds
Arm Length: 35 1/8’’
Hand Size: 10 1/8’’
Accomplishments:
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (2023) • All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention (2020)
“Walter Rouse is a powerful, vertical mover whose immediate path to snaps could come at guard due to lack of athleticism and width in his lower half.”
Strengths:
Leg drive
Latch strength
Anchor
Concerns:
Athleticism
Movement skills
Punch timing
Kick-step to counter outside shoulder
Film Analysis:
Walter Rouse is a powerful, vertical mover whose immediate path to snaps could come at guard due to a lack of athleticism and width in his lower half. As a run blocker, Rouse gets off the line well and uses his overall mass to move bodies, instead of brute strength or technique. Will, at times, duck his head to engage, leaving himself susceptible to rip moves and the loss of contact along the line of scrimmage. Good hips to seal five-techs outside, shutting off any potential inside moves to clog the 3-hole. Does not have the athleticism to consistently pull, climb, or ever represent the kick-out block on a tunnel screen to the outside.
In pass pro, Rouse sits in his base well but is unable to consistently keep his outside shoulder clean. Pass rushers with any combination of speed to power can often force a hold or win the rep entirely. Hands are stagnant at times, but coaching at the NFL level should quickly assist Rouse in winning leverage at a quicker rate. Punch timing and placement also need fine-tuning. On the contrary, once his hands are latched the rep can end quickly. He has vice grips when he can correctly establish his hands on the opposition, making it tough to move.
His current projection could see him slide to guard as his structurally powerful lower half and short-area strength could translate well with bumpers to either shoulder. It’s difficult to project Rouse as a potential starter at tackle due to the lack of foot speed and technicality required to counter the league’s elite edge talents.
Overall, Rouse’s experience at two Power Five programs, fundamental strength, and size will intrigue teams searching for depth along their offensive line.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Scheme Specific Contributor
Exposures: Texas (2023), TCU (2023)
