4 Detroit Lions players under pressure in second preseason game

4. Chase Lucas, CB

When the Lions signed former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson, I personally thought of it as one of the best moves made all offseason, by any team across the league. This defensive unit is one which is on the rise and is going to be tougher and tougher, so long as they keep the cornerstones intact.

Gardner-Johnson obviously has the starting nickel spot locked down and is a guy who finds himself everywhere, seemingly ending up near the ball almost every play. But, behind him, it appears as though Chase Lucas could have the backup nickel spot locked down.

He's taken over the second unit snaps at the position, while also being a standout on special teams. In that first preseason game, Pro Football Focus gave him a strong grade of 77.3 in that department, while also giving him a grade of 73.0 in the tackling column.

Lucas is well on his way to an established NFL career, here, after being a seventh-round pick out of Arizona State last year. If he's given the opportunity in this second game to shine for an extended period of time, he could lock down that backup position on Saturday.