Tuesday open thread: Who is the most likely dark horse to make the Detroit Lions roster?

Everyone loves a good darkhorse story. When a person can beat daunting odds to be victorious, it’s hard not to fall in love with that story. It’s inspiring. It’s heroic. It reminds us all that sometimes a little extra hard work can result in something extraordinary.

It seems every year, one Detroit Lions player is able to provide that kind of example. Each year, a player no one is really even considering is able to sneak his way onto the team’s 53-man roster, despite literally no one projecting him to make it there.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

Which dark-horse Detroit Lions player do you think has the best chance to make the final roster?

My answer: Marcus Cooper.

At the cornerback position, we’re all a little infatuated with the possible rebirth of Teez Tabor’s career, or the hope that fifth-round pick Amani Oruwariye could quickly develop into a starter.

However, as the Lions don’t have a lot of great options at outside corner, Marcus Cooper stands out as a player with a sneaky route to the 53-man roster. Cooper has the size (6-foot-2) and the length that the Lions like in their outside corners, and he’s a physical back that doesn’t shy away from tackles.

Additionally, Cooper is well experienced as a special teams player, and the fact that he stuck around after the Lions claimed him in November is a good sign that Matt Patricia likes him.

Cooper made a couple plays during OTAs and minicamp, and I truly think he could sneak his way onto the roster if the Tabor train dies down and Oruwariye doesn’t show enough promise during training camp.

Your turn.