Jashon Cornell became the third Ohio State Buckeye drafted by the Lions in this 2020 draft.
The Lions selected the defensive tackle in the seventh round with the 235th overall pick.
“I’ve been talking to the Lions for a while. I was really excited to get that phone call,’’ Cornell said in a conference call on Saturday.
Cornell was the top-ranked recruit in Minnesota after high school and chose Ohio State from more than 30 scholarship offers.
Back then he was best buddies with Lions offensive lineman Frank Ragnow. They would travel to high school camps all over the country together.
At Ohio State, he broke through as a senior starter earning all Big Ten honors. He lined up both inside and outside, but seemed to find a comfort level inside as a senior.
The other Buckeyes drafted by the Lions this weekend include CB Jeff Okudah (first round) and G Jonah Jackson (third round).
“Jeff Okudah is a franchise player. He’s going to be – the things that Jeff can do as a defensive back – being able to come in as a freshman and being able to watch Jeff grow, he was able to showcase his ability as one of the best defensive backs in the country,’’ Cornell said. “He came to practice every day, he showed out. Jeff Okudah is going to be a great player for the Lions. Jonah, me and Jonah go at it for 12 weeks out of the year for every year since Jonah (came in) you know, we always had our battles in practice. It’s going to be good to go back up there in Detroit, and be able to compete with Jonah each day at practice and stuff.”
He thinks having college teammates might help in his transition to the NFL.
“One thing we do at Ohio State is treat everything as if it’s an NFL team. That’s one thing that makes it different from most teams and most players that we’ve been through all the rough patches and we know about the grind and being able to compete at a high level – that’s one thing we did every Saturday,’’ Cornell said. “I think that’s one thing we can transition to Detroit, us Buckeyes can come in bring that competitive factor, that championship mentality that we have at Ohio State. I think that’s one thing we can bring to Detroit as Buckeyes.”
Detroit Lions 2020 draft picks
First round — CB Jeff Okudah (3rd overall), Ohio State
Second round — RB D’Andre Swift (35th overall) Georgia
Third round — LB Julian Okwara (67th overall) Notre Dame
Third round — G Jonah Jackson (85th overall) Ohio State
Fourth round — G Logan Stenberg (121st overall) Kentucky
Fifth round — WR Quintez Cephus (166th overall) Wisconsin
Fifth round — RB Jason Huntley (172nd overall) New Mexico State
Sixth round — DT John Penisini (197th overall) Utah
Seventh round — DT Jashon Cornell (235th overall) Ohio State
Lions Lowdown 