Vikings Sign Former Colts Defender
Someone within the Minnesota Vikings organization looked at another guy recently and said, “You know what? We need a bunch of defensive tackles.” Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski signed veteran DT Eric Johnson on Wednesday, the fourth new interior defensive lineman in the last five days.
Minnesota continues to tweak its defensive line after the draft, this time with a 320-pound veteran flier.
Johnson may not have too much of an impact on the 2026 regular season, but he’s in the house for the summer nevertheless.
Brian Flores Gets Another iDL Option
Get to know Johnson.
Johnson to MIN
No one much expected a DT signing right after the draft, but here we are. Vikings.com’s Lindsey Young wrote, “The Vikings are continuing to add pieces to their defensive line. Minnesota has signed free agent defensive tackle Eric Johnson II, the team announced Wednesday. Originally a fifth-round selection by Indianapolis in the 2022 NFL Draft, Johnson spent his first two pro seasons with the Colts, a stint with the Patriots in 2024 and then rejoined the Colts for the 2025 campaign.”
“He played in 12 games last season and recorded six tackles, including one for loss. Johnson was on the field for 131 defensive snaps and 16 special teams snaps. Johnson’s most productive season occurred in 2023, when he had 15 tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss.”
From an April standpoint, Johnson projects as a roster bubble guy. He’ll have to fight for a regular season roster spot at training camp.
Johnson’s Background
Johnson is 27, drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in Round 5 four years ago. He’s 6’4″ and 320 pounds. The Missouri State alumnus has played in 51 career games since 2022, starting none, and has logged 41 total tackles, with 3 QB hits, 2 tackles for loss, and a sack. He is the very definition of a depth defensive tackle.
Here’s his PFF resume, along with snap counts per season:
- 2025: 47.6 (131 snaps)
- 2024: 54.2 (178 snaps)
- 2023: 30.5 (265 snaps)
- 2022: 47.4 (47.4 snaps)
And his NFL menu so far:
- Indianapolis Colts (2022–2023)
- New England Patriots (2024)
- Indianapolis Colts (2025)
- Minnesota Vikings (2026-now)
Johnson is better at rushing the passer than stopping the run, though he’s certainly not a pass-rush savant.
The Viking Age‘s Adam Patrick on the Johnson addition: “While the dust is still settling from the 2026 NFL Draft, the Vikings announced on Wednesday that the team has signed free-agent defensive lineman Eric Johnson II. Johnson isn’t someone who had been on anyone’s radar before signing with Minnesota, and rightfully so, since he only has 41 career tackles since entering the league back in 2022.”
“For whatever reason, though, Johnson just hasn’t been able to use his size and athleticism to earn a more consistent role with a team during his pro career. The chances of this happening for him in Minnesota don’t seem high, especially after they just added Caleb Banks and Dominique Orange in this year’s NFL Draft. But perhaps the Vikings’ coaching staff can help him perform at a level he hasn’t been able to reach yet since entering the league.”
The New Load of DTs
One offseason surprise for the Vikings? After releasing Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, the DT position became a sudden priority and a youth movement. Dropping Hargrave and Allen last month did not mean that defensive coordinator Brian Flores was content with his young depth defenders; he just wanted different ones.
Here’s the full DT room entering May:
- Jalen Redmond
- Caleb Banks
- Domonique Orange
- Levi Drake Rodriguez
- Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
- Elijah Williams
- Taki Taimani
- Eric Johnson
- Monkell Goodwine
Next to Redmond, a headliner by now of the Vikings’ defense, Banks and Orange entered the mix as rookies last week from the draft.
All the FA Additions since March
Believe it or not, the 2026 offseason has been unusually quiet for the Vikings in adding new veterans from free agency. The club used the last few months to reset the salary cap, refusing to put the bill on the 2027 or 2028 ledger. Therefore, when next offseason rolls around, Minnesota will have more flexibility.
Here’s the haul of newcomer vets since the start of March:
- Johnny Hekker (P)
- Eric Johnson (DT)
- Kyler Murray (QB)
- James Pierre (CB)
- Ryan Van Demark (OT)
That list may grow into the spring and summer, and in fact, some expect the Vikings to sign wide receiver Jauan Jennings sometime this week after he met with the club in Eagan.
Johnson will turn 28 in July. He played alongside former Vikings defense Camryn Bynum and Mekhi Blackmon last year in Indianapolis.
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