The Detroit Lions have drafted another Buckeye.
After selecting Jeff Okudah with the No. 3 overall pick, the Lions drafted Jonah Jackson with the No. 75 overall pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft on Friday night.
Blessed is an understatement! Lets go! pic.twitter.com/utWdKXd7Be
— Jonah Jackson (@Jackson77Jonah) April 25, 2020
Jackson's opportunity to play in the NFL comes after he earned first-team All-Big Ten and third-team All-American honors in his only season at Ohio State, in which he started all 14 of the Buckeyes' 2019 games at left guard. He spent his first four years of his collegiate career at Rutgers, starting 16 games at right guard and center over his final two seasons with the Scarlet Knights, before finishing his career at Ohio State as a graduate transfer.
Given his experience playing all three interior offensive line positions, Jackson has the potential to step in as an early starter at either guard or center in the NFL.
“Here’s a guy that can be elite at guard and center, and I think that makes him more valuable,” Ohio State offensive line coach Greg Studrawa said on a teleconference this week. “With his attention to detail, his mental toughness, all those things about him, he’s just a disciplined guy. I think he’s gonna play a long time.”
Jackson was the fourth interior offensive lineman selected in the 2020 NFL draft behind Michigan's Cesar Ruiz, Louisiana's Robert Hunt and LSU's Damien Lewis.
Ohio State has now had at least one offensive lineman selected in five consecutive drafts. He is also the first, and could be the only, former Rutgers player selected in this year's draft.
Jonahs moment is here. @Jackson77Jonah
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 25, 2020
Watch the 2020 #NFLDraft April 23-25 on NFL Network/ESPN/ABC.#GoBucks #DevelopedHere https://t.co/8SFsQ1y2wr pic.twitter.com/BZO8cuETHy
Jackson will now be playing on the same offensive line as fellow former Ohio State offensive lineman Taylor Decker, who is entering his fifth season with the Lions as their starting left tackle. In Detroit, Jackson could potentially start at either left guard or right guard alongside center Frank Ragnow, the Lions' first-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft.
Jackson is the sixth Buckeye selected in this year's draft, joining No. 2 overall pick Chase Young, Okudah, No. 19 overall pick Damon Arnette, second-round pick J.K. Dobbins and fellow third-round pick DaVon Hamilton.
