With the 109th pick of the NFL draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Jaleel Johnson, a defensive tackle from Iowa. Johnson can play both the nose tackle and three-technique positions because of his ability to stay stout in the run game against one or two offensive linemen.
For a very detailed breakdown on what Johnson can provide to the Vikings, you can check out the video that Matt Waldman and Charles McDonald put together in the RSP Film Room. Johnson is a smart, strong defensive tackle who remains assignment-sound while operating as a wrecking ball.
Johnson was one of the most productive pass-rushing defensive tackles in the FBS last year, with his eight sacks (as a defensive tackle!) falling behind Carlos Watkins and hybrid edges like Jonathan Allen and Solomon Thomas.
His overall pressure productivity was third among potential three-technique tackles, only behind Malik McDowell and Caleb Brantley — who both carry significant character concerns that Johnson seemingly does not.
The Iowa product, like seemingly every Iowa player on either side of the ball, plays with unreal strength and complements it with excellent hand technique. With an array of pass-rushing moves, he’ll consistently keep offensive linemen on their toes.
He has quickness and flexibility issues that give context to his sacks—many of them are effort sacks that likely won’t appear as readily in the NFL as they did in the Big Ten. On the other hand, his balance allows him to avoid cut blocks, so he will be difficult to account for by zone-running teams.
That said, despite his worrisome combine tests, he showcased lateral agility in the backfield and he’s been a demon on stunts.
Personally, I thought Johnson was a second-round quality defensive tackle that fell due to poor combine testing. Sometimes he’ll get caught up in blocks and if he doesn’t win the initial move and gets locked up, he has a tough time disengaging. Later in the season, he was vulnerable to his own aggressiveness and fell to well-designed trap blocks.
All of this said, the Vikings will likely have an excellent run-stopping front with Johnson lined up next to Linval Joseph, and they should have some healthy competition at three-technique with Datone Jones.
