At this point, anything less than an emphatic breakout season would be a disappointment for Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa.
The second-year receiver has once again been tabbed as a breakout candidate, this time by NFL writer Eva Geitheim of Sports Illustrated in her article listing one breakout candidate for each team entering the 2026 season.
"The Lions' offense is crowded with playmakers from receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams to running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta, but one player that could make a case for a greater role is Isaac TeSlaa, the team's No. 3 receiver. The 2025 third-round pick caught just 16 passes for 239 yards and six touchdowns, but made some of the most impressive catches we saw all season. At 6'4", TeSlaa is a tall target, making him an ideal option for contested catches and in the red zone. After all, there's a reason nearly 38% of his receptions went for touchdowns. "
TeSlaa's pathway to the WR3 role appears clear after Kalif Raymond left the Lions to sign with the Chicago Bears during free agency. Although, it is interesting to note that TeSlaa had more touchdowns (6) than Raymond (1) last season in only 50 fewer yards.
But that's life as a WR3 for the Lions, with All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown leading the way, Jameson Williams working hard toward his first Pro Bowl season, and tight end Sam LaPorta looking to return to his All-Pro form. Even with quarterback Jared Goff stacking up seasons with 4,500+ yards and 30+ touchdowns, there's only so many passes to go around.
What works in TeSlaa's favor is his size, as Geitheim alluded to, and his big play ability. At 6'4", TeSlaa is Goff's second tallest target behind backup TE Brock Wright, and two inches taller than LaPorta. Meanwhile, Williams is listed at 6'1" and St. Brown is 6'0". Couple that with his circus catches throughout his rookie campaign, and TeSlaa has the makings to be a high-impact player sooner rather than later.
TeSlaa will have some competition for the WR3 spot
The Lions haven't sought out a true WR3 veteran to replace Raymond, focusing more on under-the-radar moves, such as drafting Kendrick Law in the fifth-round and the recent signings of UFL champions Lucky Jackson and Tarik Black from the Louisville Kings.
Any hopes of Law emerging as stiff competition for TeSlaa for the WR spot this season were dashed when Law tore his ACL during OTAs. Law was placed on the IR just prior to the Jackson and Black signings, effectively ending his season.
READ MORE: Lions will continue to "push" players in training camp, but won't "break them"
The closest WR to fit the Raymond mold would be free agent signing Greg Dortch, who finished four yards shy of 1,000 return yards last season for the Arizona Cardinals. Dortch did catch 29 passes for 206 yards and three TDs on offense, which is in the ballpark of TeSlaa and Raymond's numbers last season. The Lions have also brought back fan-favorite Tom Kennedy who had his own breakout late last season in the return game, while catching four passes for 36 yards on offense.
It's still too early to officially crown TeSlaa as WR3, as we're still not even at training camp yet, but so far so good after OTAs and minicamp. TeSlaa's size and skill set has been difficult to ignore thus far, and it's really easy to why many view him as a breakout candidate.
If TeSlaa lives up to this growing hype, the Lions' offense could be unstoppable in 2026.
Add us as a preferred source on Google