Eric Johnson (defensive tackle)
American football player (born 1998)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eric Morris Johnson II (born July 16, 1998) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Missouri State Bears, and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft. He has also played for the New England Patriots.
Normal, Illinois, U.S.
| No. 69 – Green Bay Packers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive tackle | ||||||||
| Roster status | Practice squad | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | July 16, 1998 Normal, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 299 lb (136 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Plainfield South (Plainfield, Illinois) | ||||||||
| College | Missouri State (2016–2021) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2022: 5th round, 159th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| |||||||||
* Offseason or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 1, 2026 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Early life
Johnson grew up in Normal, Illinois and later moved to Plainfield, Illinois where he attended Plainfield South High School.[1]
College career
Johnson was a member of the Missouri State Bears for six seasons and redshirted his true freshman season.[2] He decided to utilize the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes who played in the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and return to Missouri State for a sixth season.[3] In his final season he was named second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference after recording 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 3 blocked kicks.[4]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4+1⁄4 in (1.94 m) | 300 lb (136 kg) | 34+1⁄4 in (0.87 m) | 10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) | 6 ft 11+1⁄4 in (2.11 m) | 4.87 s | 1.70 s | 2.91 s | 4.66 s | 7.58 s | 27.5 in (0.70 m) | 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m) | 20 reps |
| All values from Pro Day[5][6] | ||||||||||||
Indianapolis Colts (first stint)
Johnson was selected in the fifth round with the 159th overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2022 NFL draft.[7]
Johnson was waived by the Colts on August 27, 2024.[8]
New England Patriots
Johnson was claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots on August 28, 2024.[9]
On May 14, 2025, Johnson was waived by the Patriots.[10]
Indianapolis Colts (second stint)
Johnson was claimed off waivers by the Colts on May 15.[11]
Minnesota Vikings
On April 29, 2026, Johnson signed with the Minnesota Vikings.[12] He was released on August 19.[13]
Atlanta Falcons
On August 21, 2026, Johnson signed with the Atlanta Falcons.[14] He was released on August 29.[15]
Green Bay Packers
On September 16, 2026, Johnson signed with the Green Bay Packers practice squad.[16]