To help bolster their defensive line depth, the Detroit Lions selected Jashon Cornell out of Ohio State in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
While seventh-round picks have the luxury of being drafted, there is very little guarantee that they will even make the team’s practice squad come the start of the regular season.
The third Buckeye drafted by Detroit in 2020, Cornell was a versatile defensive tackle who would have been able to provide much needed depth behind Da’Shawn Hand and Nick Williams at the 3T and 5T positions.
Unfortunatley, the seventh-round pick never was able to make it to the regular season due to a torn Achilles’ tendon that he suffered during a practice in August.
Going into 2021, Cornell will have to compete with the likes of Kevin Strong, John Atkins and Joel Heath for a backup role. His smaller frame and ability to play both defensive tackle and defensive end could give him an edge, as long as he can bounce back from such a brutal injury.
