Getty Former Vikings DT Jaleel Johnson.
The Atlanta Falcons added some depth to their defensive line by signing DT Jaleel Johnson to their practice squad on Wednesday, September 5.
OFFICIAL: Falcons have signed Jaleel Johnson to the PS.
Johnson Was Drafted in 2017
Johnson, an Iowa product, was originally selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round (109th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Through five seasons so far, the 6-foot-3, 316-pound defensive lineman has logged 110 total tackles (54 solo), 5.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 65 games (20 starts) for the Vikings and Houston Texans.
Most recently, Johnson appeared in 12 games for Houston last fall where he recorded 23 total tackles (11 solo), two tackles for loss and one fumble recovery.
The Falcons’ decision to bring on Johnson comes after losing nose tackle Khyiris Tonga to the Vikings from the practice squad.
Tonga was originally a seventh-round (250th overall) pick by the Bears in the 2021 NFL draft. Last season, he played in 15 games (two starts) and made 24 tackles (10 solo), one tackle for loss and a fumble recovery. The Bears cut Tonga on August 31, and he then signed was signed to the Falcons practice squad.
He did not appear in any four Falcons’ games this season.
Falcons Designate Isaiah Oliver to Return IR
On the same day, the Falcons also designated cornerback Isaiah Oliver to return from Injured Reserve.
Exactly a year ago this month, Oliver went down early in the second quarter against the Washington Football Team.
Following a hit on Washington’s running back J.D. McKissic, Oliver hobbled off very slowly to the sidelines with the help of trainers and was shortly carted off. He was ruled out for the rest of the game with a knee injury and was later diagnosed with an ACL tear. He immediately underwent season-ending knee surgery.
Oliver recently describe what a long process it has been getting to himself on the field again.
“Difficult,” Oliver told AtlantaFalcons.coms’ Ashton Edmunds. “Just kind of going through the process, it was tough, but I feel like, where I’m at now, I did all the right things. We’ve got a lot of great people here that helped me obviously along the way so I’m just excited to be back out.”
Oliver did return for Atlanta’s offseason workouts this summer. The team kept him limited during minicamp but then he returned to full-team drills during the Falcons’ training camp. He sat out for the team’s first two two exhibition games but played 31 defensive snaps during the preseason finale against the Jaguars before heading to IR again.
“We kind of just came up with a solution that four weeks would be the best spot for me,” he said. “Even if it felt like it was a one week too long, that’s not the end of the world just to give myself that comfortability and being comfortable to be able to go back out there.”
The Falcons now have a 21-day window in which Oliver can be activated. And Defensive coordinator Dean Pees wants to see the versatile defender at “full speed” before determining what type of role he will have this year, via ESPN’s Michael Rothstein.
Falcons DC Dean Pees said he needs to see Isaiah Oliver at full speed before he knows what type of role he’ll have when if/when he’s activated off IR.
Last year, he was a guy he believed could do everything. Then the injury. Now? Still TBD.