5 Vikings who could land with another team in 2019
By Nik Edlund
Jaleel Johnson – DT
Jaleel Johnson is probably more likely than not to make the team, but there is still a decent chance he gets cut too.
The Vikings could opt to go with some of the younger guys like Armon Watts and other players who can provide more of a pass rush like Jalyn Holmes and Hercules Mata’afa. If that is the case, Johnson could be the odd man out and he will find his time in purple to be over.
Johnson really hasn’t done much of anything since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has flashed a bit during preseason matchups, but he tends to disappear when games start to count.
In his career, he’s amassed just 14 combined tackles and half a sack. Johnson has plenty of potential, he just hasn’t been able to live up to it yet.
It doesn’t help his case that Minnesota brought back Shamar Stephen in the offseason. Like Johnson, Stephen is also a run stuffer, but he has actually produced in games that matter.
Knowing they have two top-end nose tackle types and a rookie like Watts who can play both nose or the three-technique could make Johnson expendable.
Johnson would have a hot market if he were to be released by the Vikings this year. Teams are always looking for quality run stuffers and they could find his potential too good to pass up. Maybe a change of scenery would be what Johnson ends up needing to finally live up to that fourth round billing.