Which Lions player worked his way onto the roster bubble vs. Giants?

We hear it all the time in reference to football players.

“He’s just a gamer.”

Well, on Thursday night, nearly 60 Detroit Lions players had their opportunity to prove that when the lights are on, their star shines bright. It’s one thing to make some plays in Allen Park, where full contact is rarely allowed, and it’s just not quite the same as a game. It’s another to prove that when put into an actual situation, you can thrive.

For the past month or so, we’ve outlined the Lions’ roster bubble—the players that are close to making (and missing) the roster—in our weekly Bubble Watch series. But based on Thursday’s game against the New York Giants, is there anyone who has worked their way up from afterthought to roster bubble player?

That’s today’s Question of the Day:

Which Lions player(s) have worked their way onto the roster bubble after preseason game 1?

My answer: I actually have three answers: undrafted rookie center Kingsley Eguakun, edge defender Isaac Ukwu, and linebacker Malik Jefferson.

Now, to be clear, I don’t have any of these three players in my 53-man roster projections yet. But they made enough plays on Thursday for me to consider them.

Eguakun has likely the toughest route to the roster given there are only a couple of reserve OL spots available, but he made the start at center against the Giants. I thought he played extraordinarily well for a rookie in his first start at a difficult position.

Ukwu was fantastic against the Giants, as well. He produced two tackles and a sack on Thursday, and apparently, he’s been catching coach Dan Campbell’s eyes for over a week now.

“I would say Ukwu has kind of caught our eye,” Campbell said on Thursday night. “I feel like it’s ever since late last week that we’re starting to feel like he’s got a little rush ability. It seems like every day he makes something happen on a couple of plays that are pretty big.”

Finally, Jefferson has only been with the team for a little bit, but he finished with a team-high six tackles against the Giants, including a play where he absolutely blew up a screen pass. He, too, has a difficult route to the final roster, seeing as Detroit’s top five linebackers are already set. But if he can prove himself on special teams—and he played 13 special teams snaps against New York—he could certainly justify a sixth spot.

Which unsung player do you believe is now on the roster bubble after Thursday’s game? Scroll down to the comment section and let us know.