The Green Bay Packers have hosted or will host Missouri State defensive lineman Eric Johnson on an official “top 30” pre-draft visit, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic.
Johnson (6-4, 299) is a redshirt senior who played in 55 career games over six years at Missouri State. He produced 19.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups and four blocked field goals or extra points. During each of his last two seasons, he was a second-team all-conference selection.
Johnson, 23, wasn’t invited to the combine but did impress at the Senior Bowl. At his pro day, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.86 seconds, hit 27.5″ in the vertical leap, covered 8-11 in the broad jump and finished the short shuttle in 4.66 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.58 seconds. He also put up 20 reps on the bench press.
Johnson’s Relative Athletic Score based on his pro day results is 9.15 out of 10.
Johnson has the kind of athleticism and length necessary for playing multiple positons along the defensive line in an odd-man front. The Packers could be looking for extra depth up front even after signing Jarran Reed.
Johnson is a projected mid-round pick. He is the No. 13 overall defensive lineman on Dane Brugler’s big board. The Packers have six picks on Day 3 of the draft, making Johnson a viable target.
