FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced that RB D'Ernest Johnson and DE Leonard Taylor III have been elevated to the active roster from the practice squad for the fourth straight postseason game.
Johnson, 29, spent time on the practice squad and the 53-man roster during the regular season, seeing action in seven games and accumulating 13 rushing attempts for 25 yards and 5 kickoff returns for 128 yards. Johnson is in his seventh NFL season after spending time with the Cleveland Browns (2019-22), Jacksonville Jaguars (2023-24), Baltimore Ravens (2025) and the Arizona Cardinals (2025). The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with Cleveland out of South Florida in 2019 and played with the Browns through the 2022 season. He signed with Jacksonville as an unrestricted free agent in 2023 and then with the Baltimore Ravens in 2025. Johnson spent time on the Ravens and Cardinals practice squads earlier this season.
Taylor, 23, was elevated for three games during the regular season and for the first three postseason games. He finished with 8 total tackles in the regular season and played as a reserve in the postseason games and blocked a field goal attempt in the AFC Championship game at Denver. Taylor was signed by New England to the practice squad on Oct. 16, 2025. He originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the New York Jets out of Miami (Fla.) in 2024. The 6-foot-3, 305-pounder has played in 19 NFL games and has 35 total tackles, 1½ sacks and 2 passes defensed. He was released by the Jets on Oct. 14, 2025, after seeing action in two games in 2025.
