5 early standouts from the Vikings 2019 training camp

Jaleel Johnson – DT

During this year’s training camp, most the Vikings’ defensive tackle reserves have been getting more reps with the first and second-team defenses thanks to Shamar Stephen and Linval Joseph both being sidelined.

One of the beneficiaries of Joseph and Stephen missing time has been Jaleel Johnson. During this year’s camp, Johnson has done pretty well filling in for Joseph on the first-team defense.

Where he has really shined so far has been his ability to stop the run. Johnson isn’t going to blow anyone away with his pass-rushing skills, but it seems like he’s developed into a solid backup defensive tackle who could potentially have a bigger role for the Vikings in 2019.

His play in this year’s training camp should definitely make Minnesota not worry as much if Joseph has to miss a few games this season. The Vikings now know that they at least have a guy in Johnson who can perform at a sufficient level when he is needed out on the field.