Eric Johnson (defensive tackle)
| No. 98 – Indianapolis Colts | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive tackle | ||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | July 16, 1998 Normal, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 320 lb (145 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Plainfield South (Plainfield, Illinois) | ||||||||
| College | Missouri State (2016–2021) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2022: 5th round, 159th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||
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Eric Morris Johnson II (born July 16, 1998) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Missouri State Bears, and was selected by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft. He has also played for the New England Patriots.
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 | 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) |
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 NFL Combine/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]
References
- ^ Carolina Panthers The Charlotte Observer (subscription required)
- ^ Wheeler, Wyatt D. "Where could Missouri State defensive lineman Eric Johnson go in the NFL Draft?". Springfield News-Leader.
- ^ Wheeler, Wyatt D. "Missouri State football's Eric Johnson shined at all-star games. His NFL dreams are now getting bigger". Springfield News-Leader.
- ^ Wheeler, Wyatt D. "NFL Draft: Why Bobby Petrino believes Missouri State's Eric Johnson should be selected". Springfield News-Leader.
- ^ "Colts select Eric Johnson with No. 159 pick in 2022 draft". Colts.com. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ "Eric Johnson, Missouri State, DT, 2022 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- ^ Stankevitz, JJ (April 30, 2022). "NFL Draft 2022: Colts Select Missouri State DT Eric Johnson With No. 159 Pick". Colts.com.
- ^ "Colts make roster moves to form initial 53-man roster for 2024 regular season". Colts.com. August 27, 2024.
- ^ "Patriots Claim Four Players and Release Four Players". Patriots.com. August 28, 2024.
- ^ "Patriots Sign RB Trayveon Williams and Release DT Eric Johnson II". patriots.com. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
- ^ Erickson, Joel A. (May 15, 2025). "Colts get one of their own back on defensive line from Patriots with waiver claim". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 15, 2025.