Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa had a very interesting 2025.
The then-rookie was used in a few ways, including on special teams, as a blocker, and occasionally, as a red zone threat. His sure hands made for multiple highlight-reel worthy catches, and now, he finds himself seemingly in the lead to land the starting WR3 role following Kalif Raymond's departure in free agency.
ESPN's Eric Woodyard recently contributed to a piece on 32 players from all 32 teams that stood out during minicamp and OTAs, and TeSlaa was his pick for biggest surprise player for Detroit this season.
"As a rookie, TeSlaa scored six touchdowns off 16 receptions while playing a limited role alongside Detroit's strong offensive weapons, such as Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. But now the second-year WR is ready to get more involved with the support of coach Dan Campbell. Campbell is impressed and said he "feels like a veteran right now."
TeSlaa tabbed for breakout season by Lions beat reporter
With Raymond's departure, TeSlaa feels like the ideal candidate for the Lions to throw into the fray. He proved to be a hard worker in his rookie season, acting as one of their better blockers thanks to his large frame and strength. Additionally, he proved himself to be reliable weapon with 16 receptions on 27 targets. He managed six touchdowns on those 16 receptions, as well.
Greg Dortch, Tom Kennedy, and even recent pickups Lucky Jackson or Tarik Black can all threaten TeSlaa's standing on the depth chart, although it sounds like he's been doing everything right in camp to get the coaching staff's attention. As Woodyard noted, Campbell seemed very impressed with TeSlaa's demeanor in minicamp and OTAs.
READ MORE: Lions secondary remains teams' biggest question mark after end of minicamp
"His growth took off, he got a little better every week. We had a lot of trust that he could do a lot of jobs. He’s steady, he’s consistent for a young guy, didn’t get frazzled. What he’s done out here in the spring, there’s been nothing flashy about it, and that’s a good thing. Very consistent. Where we expected him to be in Year 2, he’s exactly where we’ve wanted him. He’s exactly like a veteran right now."
Detroit's gotten some flack for some of their...let's say, less than ideal draft selections following their unbelievably successful one in 2023. Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Giovanni Manu, and Sione Vaki are all players that have yet to really burst onto the scene for Detroit since getting taken in recent drafts. TeSlaa is standing out in a great way against that potential bust backdrop.
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