DC Brian Flores said he likes to think of the defensive coaching staff as being part of a think tank, capable of tossing ideas out into the open to spur innovation. Maybe it’s that openness to trying new things that has fed into the ongoing experiment with Ty Ingram-Dawkins playing edge rusher.

The Vikings large lad is looking leaner. Listed at 6’5” and 290-pounds, the young lineman joined the NFL as a hybrid player. Tasking him with lining up directly across from the center before soaking up blockers was never in his job description. He could, nevertheless, be shuffled up and down the line so as to arrive at favorable matchups.

Meanwhile, Walter Rouse has received some opportunity at guard.

A massive man (who does great off-field work), Rouse is facing an uphill battle at offensive tackle, his college position. All of Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, Ryan Van Demark, and Caleb Tiernan are ahead of him on the depth chart. At guard, in contrast, there’s a wide open competition behind the starting pair of Donovan Jackson and Will Fries. Might Rouse become the OG3 rolling into the 2026 season? Doing so would give him a clearer pathway toward sticking around and contributing.

Two Vikings Large Lads Trying Out New Spots

In Ty Ingram-Dawkins, the plan all along was for versatility. Does that initial ambition of moving around mean a full-time job at edge rusher? Not necessarily, but the possibility was always there.

And, in fairness, the Vikings have by no means committed themselves to shifting the young defender to the position as a permanent spot. Even if they did, when has Brian Flores ever felt constrained to fixity within a player’s on-field assignment?

Listen to the DC. He likes working with players who can do several things well (think Josh Metellus and Andrew Van Ginkel as great examples). Sometimes, Ingram-Dawkins can be a jumbo edge rusher, as has been the case at Vikings minicamp at times. So, too, can he be a leaner player for the interior of the defensive line. All part of the ingredients being tossed into the Flores cauldron of defensive madness.

In Rouse, the Vikings boast a truly massive lineman who has yet to breakthrough. All along, the plan had been for a slower approach to development since he went in the 6^th of the 2024 NFL Draft. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah even made comments about development, noting that it took some time in college but that Rouse had the potential to become a bully.

Per PFF, Walter Rouse played 13 snaps at left tackle and 75 snaps at right tackle in 2025. What’s most discouraging isn’t the low snap count. Rather, it’s that his playing time dropped off in the final half of the season, a reality that appears particularly discouraging given the injuries to the o-line. Put simply, Rouse needs to continue proving he belongs on the team.

On the other side of the ball, Ingram-Dawkins had 135 snaps as a 3-4 defensive end last season (think across from the offensive tackle). He then had 97 snaps as an edge rusher alongside 16 in more of a 3T spot. Given where things are trending, Ingram-Dawkins may see that edge rusher snap allotment increase.

A perfect world for the Vikings involves seeing these two both make the roster while then working themselves into meaty roles on Sunday. Not just dress, but demand snaps on a regular basis. Better yet, be part of the mix for winning the line of scrimmage more often than not.

The current outlook suggests that Ty Ingram-Dawkins is in a better spot than Walter Rouse, but the d-line competition is intense after adding Caleb Banks (still recovering from injury) and Domonique Orange. Both need to keep polishing their game while acclimating to new on-field assignments.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.