On Friday night, the Detroit Lions could not quite get it done as they lost 27-23 to the Atlanta Falcons in their first preseason game of the year.
Despite the loss, there were some players who improved their stock with the team.
4 Detroit Lions who improved their stock against the Falcons
David Blough is currently in a battle with Tim Boyle to be the backup quarterback behind starter Jared Goff and the three preseason games leading up to the regular season will play a big role in who wins the job. On Friday, Blough was clearly the better quarterback compared to Boyle and despite losing a fumble that allowed the Falcons to get the ball back late in the game and eventually score the winning TD, he had a solid performance.
Aidan Hutchinson
To be honest, I almost left Aidan Hutchinson off of this list because I'm not so sure that his stock can really be any higher than it already was. But after his performance against the Falcons, I think his stock actually took a tick up. Hutchinson was only on the field for one (long) series in the first quarter but to say he made his presence felt would be an understatement. In fact, Hutchinson looked like the Lions' best defensive player on Friday.
Heading into Friday's game against the Falcons, pretty much nobody thought WR Tom Kennedy had much of a shot at making the Detroit Lions 53-man roster. But after his performance last night, there are some who think he could end up forcing his way onto the roster. In three-quarters of action, Kennedy racked up eight catches for 104 yards and he certainly looked like he belongs in the NFL. That being said, I still think it is a long shot for Kennedy to make the roster unless he makes it due to other receivers being injured.
Similar to Kennedy, Devin Funchess really has his work cut out for him if he is going to make the Detroit Lions 53-man roster out of camp. That being said, he certainly helped his cause on Friday against the Falcons and even if he is cut by the Lions (likely the case), he is showing other NFL teams that he still has some gas left in the tank. Don't be surprised if Funchess catches on with another team in need of a backup tight end.
