2020 NFL Draft: How Jashon Cornell impacts the Detroit Lions roster

The Detroit Lions are officially THE Detroit Lions after selecting their third Ohio State Buckeye in the 2020 NFL Draft. This time, with their final pick, they chose defensive tackle Jashon Cornell.

Player selected: Jashon Cornell

Position:

Current players on roster at DT:

• Da’Shawn Hand
• John Atkins
• John Penisini
• Olive Sagapolu
• Danny Shelton
• Kevin Strong
• Nick Williams

Offseason losses at DT:

• Mike Daniels
• Damon Harrison Sr.
• Darius Kilgo
• Jamie Meder
• A’Shawn Robinson

Impact:

The Lions just added another defensive tackle, but Cornell and Penisini are two very different players. While Penisini is largely a run-stuffing nose tackle, Cornell is an undersized defensive tackle. In the Lions defense, he will likely play outside as well, much like Da’Shawn Hand. Unlike Hand, however, he has a long way to make the roster.

Much like Penisini, he will face competition from Atkins and Strong during training camp and preseason. Cornell, at 6-foot-2, 285 pounds, is a similar size to Strong (6-foot-4, 285 pounds). He, along with any other undrafted free agents, will compete for a limited number of spots along the defensive line.