The Minnesota Vikings are continuing with their overhaul in the trenches this offseason, with veteran Eric Johnson II the latest to join the fray.
Minnesota is still going through the process of securing its next general manager, with long-time NFL executive Rob Brzezinski running the show on an interim basis for now. That has not stopped its targeted pursuits, with several new additions on both sides of the ball.
Johnson is another addition that appears to have been heavily influenced by the coaching staff.
Vikings Add Ex-Colts DT Eric Johnson
GettyNew Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Eric Johnson (#96) spent one season with the New England Patriots in 2024.
“The Vikings are continuing to add pieces to their defensive line,” Vikings.com’s Lindsey Young wrote on April 29. “Minnesota has signed free agent defensive tackle Eric Johnson II, the team announced Wednesday.
Johnson began his NFL career as a fifth-round pick, taken 159th overall in the 2022 draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He has spent three of his four seasons in the league with the Colts.
Johnson spent the other season with the New England Patriots.
He was a workout star during the pre-draft process in 2022, scoring a 9.39 out of 10.00 in Kent Lee Platte’s (@MathBomb) Raw Athletic Score (RAS) system, with “elite” explosion and speed composite grades.
Eric Johnson II was drafted with pick 159 of round 5 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 9.39 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 90 out of 1459 DT from 1987 to 2022. t.co/de2dJlN1US #RAS #Colts
Johnson could fit well in Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ scheme.
Interior defensive linemen are not asked to make the play, though Johnson is an active presence on the field. Instead, they free up the linebackers and edge rushers to do so, all while the team has been the most blitz-heavy outfit in the league during Flores’ tenure, per Stathead.
Johnson, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, has 41 total tackles, 2 stops for loss, and 1.0 sacks in 51 career games. He has never started a regular-season contest.
He figures to compete for a depth role behind Jalen Redmond and a rebuilt interior D-line.
The Vikings parted ways with former run-stuffer Javon Hargrave, as well as Jonathan Allen, this offseason. Johnson steps into an elder statesman role in Minnesota, followed by Redmond and Taki Taimani, then youngsters Levi Drake Rodriguez and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins.
The Vikings selected IDLs Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange in the 2026 draft. They also signed Elijah Williams.
Williams was an UDFA in 2025, like fellow 2026 signee Monkell Goodwine this year.
Vikings Banking on Risky 1st-Round Pick
GettyCaleb Banks of the Florida Gators participates in the 40-yard dash during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
The Vikings boast a deep stable of players that they hope will keep their plan on track, and Johnson is now part of the mix, at least for the offseason program. However, the Vikings’ offseason overhaul hinges on Banks and, to a lesser extent, Orange.
Banks comes with significant durability concerns.
He has battled foot injuries, which many speculated would knock him out of the first round of the draft entirely before the Vikings selected him 18th overall.
Johnson could face an uphill battle to outlast all of the internal investments the Vikings have made in their defensive line. But he brings more experience than most of his new teammates have, even with all of it coming as a reserve.
The Vikings ranked 23rd against the run in 2025 and are banking on youth for improvement.
Vikings Sign 320-Pound Former Colts Defensive Lineman in Free Agency