As head coach Mike Zimmer spends spring tinkering with his Vikings defense, third-year defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson has been at the center. Filling in for Linval Joseph as he recovers from offseason surgery, Johnson has aligned as the starting nose tackle for the first-team defense. The reps have given Zimmer plenty to evaluate from Johnson, who has a chance to earn playing time in the 2019 rotation.
During Tuesday’s practice, Zimmer approached Johnson after a set of 11-on-11 reps and walked through some coaching points off to the side.
“I think he’s being more receptive to coaching,” Zimmer said.