Eric Johnson II DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

On Thursday, the Indianapolis Colts claimed defensive tackle Eric Johnson II off waivers after the New England Patriots recently released him. The Colts also waived safety Marcel Dabo and designated tight end Maximilian Mang as an exempt/international player. Johnson will enter his fourth season in the league and serve his second stint with the Colts after they selected him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Missouri State product appeared in 11 games for the Patriots in 2024, notching 17 tackles (two solo). He's a fine rotational piece on the defensive line, but doesn't project to make too much of an impact on the field or in fantasy. Johnson hasn't garnered a single start through 39 career games and is currently buried way down on the team's unofficial depth chart.

The New England Patriots announced that they released defensive tackle Eric Johnson II on Wednesday after signing free-agent running back Trayveon Williams. The Patriots claimed Johnson off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 28 of last year. The 26-year-old played in 11 games with New England last year and finished with 17 total tackles (two solo) in his third NFL campaign. Johnson was originally a fifth-round selection (159th overall) by the Colts in 2022 out of Missouri State. The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder had only 18 tackles (seven solo), one sack, a tackle for loss and one fumble recovery in 28 games (no starts) in his first two years in the league in Indy. Johnson will be looking to find a new team before training camp starts this summer.